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Full text of "Jacobite and nonjuring principles freely examined in a letter to the master-tool of the faction at Manchester : with remarks on some part of a book lately published, intitled, a Christian Catechism, &c. said to be wrote by Dr. D--c-n"

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Ex  Libris 
C.  K.  OGDEN 


Jacobite  and  Nonjuring  PRINCIPLE  9j 

freely  examined ; 

I  N     A 

LETTER 

TO       THE 

MASTER-TOOL 

OF      THE 

FACTION 

A    T 

MANCHESTER- 

With  Remarks   on  fome  Part  of  a  Book  lately 

published,  intitled,  a  Chriftian  Catechifm^  &c. 

faid  to  be   wrote    by  Dr.  D—c-n. 

By        J.       O    W    E    N. 

Quid  Homines    ( fuftintbitis  enim  me  Impetufufcept/e  Aftit- 


nls  libtrius  exerentem  )  Homines  inquam     deploratz,  illicit^,  ac  def- 
peratae  Fa£lionist    gre/ari  in  Deot  non  ingemifcendum  tjl  ? 

M.  Min.  Felic.  Odav. 
— — — —  RiJicuIum   Acri 
Fortiut  ft  tne/ius  magnaf  flerumq\  fecat  Rts. 

Hor.  Sat.  10. 


MANCHESTER: 
Printed  by  R,   WHITWORTH,  Bookfeller.  MDCCXLVII. 


A 


LETTER 


TO       THE 


MASTER-TOOL, 

SIR! 


HAVE  fomewherc  read 
of  an  Order  of  Knighthood 
amongfl  the  Hottentots^ 
where  the  Perfon  inftall'd 
is  plentifully  befpatter'd  in 
a  very  ungenteel  and  inde- 
cent Manner  ;  which  he  re- 
ceives with  great  Alacrity, 
as  the  more  Indecency,  the  more  Honour.  In 
a  Light  fomething  analogous  to  this,  I  confider 
your  Treatment  of  me,  in  a  late  Epiftle  to  a 
Friend.  The  more  Abufe,  the  more  Honour; 
the  more  Scurrility  you  have  given  Vent  to, 
the  more  Diflinftioa  you  have  paid  me.  Jaco- 

A  2  bittt 


107; 


bites  and  Nonjurors  I  have  always  look'd  upon 
as  a  Race  of  Britifli  Hottentots,  as  blind  and 
bigotted  as  their  Brethren  about  the  Gape,  but 
more  favage  in  their  Manners.  A  Specimen 
of  this  from  their  Writings?  Take  one  as 
follows: 


cc 


Leave  to  the  lew-bred  O— ns  of  the  Age, 
Senfe  to  belye,  and   Loyalty  to  rage  ; 
Wit  to  make  Treafon  of  each  Cry  and  Chat, 
And  Eyes  to  fee  falfe  Worftiip  in  a  Hat; 
Wifdom  and  Love  to  conftrue  Heart  and  Mien* 
By  the  new  Gofpel  of  a  Magazine." 

Epiftle  to  a  Friend,  p.  26. 

Your  polite  and  elaborate  Notes  upon  the  a- 
bove  Lines  are  as  follow. 


cc 


cc 


<c 


Line  335.  Leave  to  the  low-bred.  Allud- 
<{  ing  to  a  furious,  fanatic  Preacher,  in  the 
<c  Neighbourhood  of  Mancheflery  who  has  late- 
"  ly  publifh'd  fome  Sermons  in  the  Spirit  here 
"  defcribed. 

"  Line  340.  A  aMgazi?2e.  Alluding  to  Mr. 
"  Owen's  mentioning  me  Story  above-mcntion- 
€C  ed"  [i.  e.  Dr.  Deacon's  worshipping  the  Re- 
bel Skulls  nVd  up  on  the  Exchange  at  Man- 
defter]  "  in  his  Ranting  Sermon  on  the  Thanks- 
gtving-Day ;  and  citing  for  it  a  paltry  News- 
Paper,  intitled  the  Manchefler  Magazine'9 


Thefe 


<c 


(5) 

Thefe  few  Traits  of  your  Genius  illuftrate 
and  confirm  my  Obfervation  above;  that  'Ja- 
cobites and  Nonjurors  are  but  a  Race  of  Britifb 
Hottentots,  as  blind  and  bigotted  as  their  Bre- 
thren about  the  Cape,  but  more  &vage  in  their 
Manners.  Why  elfe  fo  much  Rage  and  Viru- 
lence, exprefs'd  by  you  Sir,  the  Mouth  and 
Matter- Tool  of  the  Faction,  in  the  Neighbour- 
hood of  Manchejhr,  againft  a  Perfon  to  whom 
you  are  a  Stranger  ?  Exprefs'd  againft  him  ;  for 
what  ?  For  blafpheming  the  Character  of  faint- 
ed Traytors,  and  even  daring  to  profcribe  Re- 
bellion. For  thefe  high  and  mighty 

Crimes,  I  am  — —  what  am  I  not  ?  A  Fury  j 
a  Fanatic k,  a  low-bred  Fellow.  Go  on  Sir ;  a 
little  more  of  the  fame  Billingsgate  Oratory ; 
-.  a  few  more  of  the  fame  Bear-Garden  De- 
corations of  Language.  They  well  become 
the  Caufe  that  you  plead ;  they  are  the  ftrong- 
eft  Pillars  that  fupport,  the  nobleft  Ornaments 
that  grace,  and  the  moft  concluiive  Arguments 
that  defend  it.  Impudent  Puppy ;  Son  of  a 
B— ch ;  Son  of  a  W— re  ;  are  fome  other  Fi- 
gures of  Speech,  which  when  decently  inter- 
larded with  well-moHth'd  Oaths,  have  done  ex- 
cellent Service  to  your  Caufe,  againft  it's  two 

moft  inveterate  Enemies, the  Love  of  our 

Country  and  common  Senfe.  As  you  have 
fome  Military  Friends  among  you,  fince  the 
Aft  of  Indemnity  took  Place,  'tis  not  doubted 
but  you  will  be  taught  how  to  employ  the  Fi- 
gures 


(6) 


However  as  Loiers  are  allow'd  to  complain, 
and  Culloden  was  a  fatal  Day  !    if  a  Man  cannot 
{hew  his  Wit,  yet  why  (hould  he  not  fhew  his 
Teeth  ?  Believe  me,  Sir,  I  {hall  never  attempt 
to  reftrain  you  from  the  free  Exercife  and   En- 
joyment of  this  glorious  Privilege.     Hard  Lan- 
guage and  foft  Arguments,  (I'll  fay  nothing  of 
the  Heads  that   form    them)  can  never  wound 
that  Caufe  which  has  Truth  to  fupport  it.  But 
whilft  the  Enemies  of  the  Government   endea- 
vour to  poifon  Mens   Minds  with  all  Manner 
of   flavifh,    abfurd,    and  rebellious    Principles, 
fhall  there  be    no   Antidote  difpens'd   by   the 
Government's  Friends?  Shall  a  Man    fit  down, 
indolent  and    neutral  in  his    Houfe,  while   he 
beholds  Thieves  rifling  his   Property,  or  Incen- 
diaries fetting  his  Houfe    on  a    Flame  ?    Shall 
State  Incendiaries ',  you  know  who  I  mean,  be 
propagating  the  Flame  of  DifafFeftion    to   the 
beft  of  Governments  and  the  beft  of  Kings,  and 
none  endeavour  to  extinguiih  it's  Rage  and  Fu- 
ry ?  Yes  Sir,  I  dare  plead  the  Caufe  of  Liberty, 
of  Virtue,    of  Religion,  of  Mankind,  and  of 
my  Country,  in  Spite  of  all  Oppoiition.     You 
have  invited,  you  have    provoked  me  into  the 
Field;  and  I  dare  let  you  know  that  I  am  not 
akin    to  your   fugitive  Hero ;  that   I  fhall  not 
flinch  in  the  Combat.     I  dare  tell  you  that  our 
prefent   Government   has   Enemies,    and  what 

Kind 


(7) 

Kind  of  Men  they  are.  Be  it  at  Bokgne,  <tf 
j4vignon,  or  whatever  other  Place,  that  your 
vagrant  Idol  keeps  up  the  mock  State  of  a  Court, 
I  dare  tell  you  that  the  Man  who  vifits  it  to 
procure  an  Abfolution  for  having  abjur'd  Popery 
and  the  Pretender,  and  fworn  Allegiance  to  King 
GEORGE,  and  yet  calls  himfelf  a  good 
Protejlant  and  a  good  Subjcfl,  either  affronts 
other  Men's  Understandings,  or  betrays  the 
Weaknefs  of  his  own.  I  dare  tell  both  you, 
and  your  Friends,  that  the  Features  of  bafi-born 
Superftition,  arc  as  different  from  thofe  of  true 
Religion,  as  the  hcdloring,  fwaggering  Rant  of 
your  Party  over  their  Cups,  is  different  from 
true  Magnanimity  and  Courage.  I  dare  tell 
you  that  jtcobitts  and  Nonjurors  fliould  always 
herd  together,  that  they  pine  after  the  fame 
Yoke,  court  thejame  Chains,  and  meet  in  the 
fame  Center :  I  cannot  fay,  with  your  'Brother 
Wit  and  Patriot,  Dr.  Sacheverel,  that  like  two 
Parallel  Lines,  they  will  meet  in  one  Center.(a) 
If  your  Libels  againft  the  Government  and 
Common  Senfe,  have  from  Time  to  Time  efcap- 
cd  Notice ;  if  they  have  received  no  Anfwer, 
'tis  not  becaufe  they  have  been  unanfwerable, 
but  becaufe  they  have  not  defirtid  one.  How- 
ever your  late  Attack  upon  me,  urges  me  to 
examine  a  little  into  Jacobite  and  Nonjuring 
Principles,  and  to  give  fuch  an  Account  ©f 

them 


(a)  Satlrvtrtrs  Sermon,  which  his  Impeachment  was  ground. 


them  as  may  be  of  fome  Service  to  the  Pub- 
lick.  The  two  Points  I  propofe,  at  this  Time 
to  join  Iffue  with  you  upon,  are, 

Whether  Jacobite  and  Nonjuring  Principles 
do  not  ftand  juftly  chargeable  with  Fanaticifm, 
and  whether  this  Fanaticijm  is  not,  of  all  o- 
ther,  the  moft  fovereign  and  accomplim'd  ? 
And,  as  I  diibwn  the  Authority  of  all  Gofpels 
but  Chrift's, 

Whether  Cbri/t's  Gofpel  or  the  Nonjuror's 
Gofpel,  be  the  new  one,  and  which  of  the  two 
is  the  more  rational  and  authentick  ? 

As  to  the  firft  :  J  fhali  not  take  upon  me  to 
enquire  whether  the  Word  Fanatic  boafts  of  a 
Greek  or  Latin  Extraction.  Be  that  the  applaud- 
ed Talk  of  fome  fublime  Genius •  like  your 

own,  whofe  Leifure  and  Talents  render  him  e- 
qual  to  Enquiries  of  fuch  folemn  Importance. 
'Tis  enough  for  my  Purpofe,  that  whatever  its 
Etymology  be,  the  Meaning  which  Ufe  has 

flamp'd  upon  it  is  this one  who  covers  bad 

or  the  very  ivorft  Purpofes  with  a  great  Shew 
of  Goodnefs  and  Devotion.  The  true  Spirit  of 
Panaticifm  difcovers  itfelf  in  fuch  a  wild,  out- 
rageous Zeal  for  Abfurdities,  as  grows  even  in- 
to devout  Madnefs.  'Tis  a  Spirit  that  raifes 
Tumults  and  Seditions  in  States,  without  any 

juft  Provocation ; that  diflurbs  the  Peace 

of  Societies,    and  folcmnly  invocates  Heaven  to 


(9) 

aid  in  effectuating  their  Ruin.  Fanaticijm  is  a 
fanftify'd  Phrcnzy,  that  pretends  much  to  ex- 
traordinary  Influences  and  Communications;  to 
immediate  Infpirations  j  to  &  familiar  and  Jul- 
fome  Commerce  with  the  Deity.  It  receives 
Dreams  for  divine  Truths,  and  pafles  off  wild 
Reveries  for  Gofpel  Revelations.  It's  Lan- 
guage is  a  lufcious,  unintelligible  Jargon.  The 
Fanatical  Inamorato  feel*,  what  he  looks  upon 
to  be,  a  facred  Rage  of  Paffion  fvvell  in  his 
Bread.  The  Fire  of  Entbufiafm  glows  within 
him,  and  he  cherifhes  and  feeds  it  with  as 
much  Zeal,  as  the  Vellal  Virgins  of  Rome  did 
the  facred  Fire  in  their  Temple.  In  fhort,  he 
riots  in  all  Manner  of  fpiritual  Debaucheries, 
and  talks  to  his  God  as  the  Gallant  doth  to  his 
Miftrefs.  Fanaticifm  urges  its  Votaries  to  the 
Obfervance  of  the  moll  abfurd  and  unnatural 
Rites ;  to  cut  and  flam  their  own  Bodies  for 
the  Good  of  their  Souls ;  (a)  to  Jacriftce  their 
own  Children,  (b)  and  makes  natural  Delirium 
to  be  an  infallible  Token  of  fupernatural  Grace. 
Such  were  the  Fanatic  Priefts  of  Eellona ;  nay 

Sir,  if  you  read  any  Poetry  but your  own,  me- 

thinks  you  might  learn  that  the  Fanatic  Priefts 
of  Eellona  were  but  Types  of  the  'Jacobite  and 
Nonjuring  Fanatics  of  our  Day.  Speak  Juvenal 

B  "  Sed 


(a)  Bellonae  fervientes,  vere  exfecare  Brachium,  praecepit  Studio 
Crudelitatis:  Caufabon  in  Lamp. 

(b)  Vid.  Lucian  de  Dea  Syria, 


(1°) 

" Sed  ut  Fanaticus 

<c  PercufTus,    Bellona  tuo  divinat ;    et  ingens 
"  Omen  habes,  iniquit,  magni  clariq;  Triumphi 
ce  Aliquem  capies,  ant  de  Temone  Britain 
"  Excidit  Avirargus.  (a) 

Florus  gives  us  an  'Account  of  one  Eunus, 
who  by  counterfeiting  a  fanatical  Fury,  bran- 
difhing  about  the  Locks  of  the  Syrian  Goddefs, 
pretending  to  a  divine  Impulfe,  (and  indeed 
moft  Fanatics  make  God  a  Party  in  their 
Quarrels),  kindled  a  bloody  War  in  the  "Roman 
Commonwealth,  and  induced  60000  Men  to 
take  up  Arms  againft  the  State,  (b) 

A  learned  Writer  obferves  that  Weigelius  and 
"Bebmen  ;  your  intimate  Acquaintance,  'Jacob 
Bebmen,  he  muft  mean,  were  the  Leaders  of 
the  Fanatics  in  Germany,  and  both  thefe  were 
pupill'd  by  one  Paracel/us  a  Phylician.  Now 
Sir,  fuppofe  I  could  name  a  modern  Dr.  Para- 
celfus  that  teaches  and  propagates  fuch  Principles 
as  the  above,  that,  like  your  Dark  Lanthorn  ya- 
€ob^  inculcates  a  ftrange  Kind  of  Myftic  Divinity 
upon  the  Minds  of  his  deluded  Votaries  -,  that 
is  for  raifing  Tumults  and  Infurreclions  in  the 

State ; whofe    Religious    Catechifms    are 

LefTons 

(a>  Juvenal  Sat.  4. 

(b)  Syrus  quidam  Nomine  Eunus  (Magnitude  Cladium  faclt 
at  meminerimus)  fanatico  Furore,  fimulato,  dum  Syrise  DeJE  co- 
j^as  fpeftat  ad  Libertatem  et  Ajma  Servos  quafi  Numinum  Impe- 
3»  concitavit.  Florut  Lib.  3.  c.  9. 


Leflbns   of  Abfurdity  and    Superftition,     and 

whofe  political  ones   are the  Fate  of  his 

unhappy  Sons  will  tell what  ?  —  who 

dreams  of  nothing  but  dethroning  of  Britifb 
Princes,  and  who,  like  theWorfhippers  of  the  «Sy- 
rlan  Goddefs,vvill  facrifice  his  own  Children  to  his 

Idols.  Will  not  you  call  this  Man  a  Fana- 

tick  ?    Would  not  yuvenal  j    would  not  Florus 

have  call'd   him  fo  had  he  liv'd  in  their  Days  ? 

* 

But  you  will  fay,  do  you  take  me  for  a 
School- Boy  to  read  Lectures  to  me  out  of  fuch 
moth-eaten  Authors  as  thefe?  Well  Sir,  to 
attone  in  fome  Meafure  for  putting  you  under 
the  fevere  Discipline  of  a  School-Boy,  I'll  wave 
for  a  while,  referring  you  to  any  more  heathen- 
//Z>,  greek  and  latin  Authors,  and  remit  you  to 
an  ILnghJh  one,  to  learn  what  Fanaticism  is, 
and  to  one  who  lias  juftly  been  efteemed  one  of 
the  politeft  Writers  of  this  Age. 

"  Fanatici/m  is  a  Compofition  of  Superftiti- 
"  on  and  Enthufiafm.  It  overbears  all  Order 
"  and  Government,  all  Virtue  and  found  Re- 

"  ligion It  implys  an  uncommon  Pretence 

£c  to  Religion  and  Sanctity,  arid  fometimes  In- 
cc  fpiration  itfelf,  with  an  evident  Mixture  of 
"  Madnefs  or  Infatuation,  accompany'd,  for 
«'  the  moft  Part,  with  a  Reftlefsnefs  and  Tur- 
"  bulency  of  Spirit,  which  is  inconfifrent  with 
**  the  Peace  of  Society  and  any  fettled  Form 
c<  of  Government.  The  true  Fanatic  is  always 
B  2  "  moft 


" 


(12) 

<e  moft  earneft  about  fome  palpable  Superfti- 
"  tion,  which  is  not  only  no  Part  of  found  Re- 
c<  ligion,  but  even  deftruclive  of  it  He  con- 
<e  tends  with  Vehemence  for  Opinions  notori- 
<e  oufly  abfurd,  and  cannot  live  in  any  Degree 
<e  of  Charity  with  fuch  as  differ  from  him.  <-— 
ce  His  religious  Syftem  is  chequer 'd  with  Con- 
ditions. He  is  hurry'd  on  by  the  Impc-iu- 
tuofity  of  his  Zeal,  to  break  through  all  Re- 
"  gards  of  the  moft  facred  Importance,  that 
<{  feem  to  thwart  his  extravagant  Schemes,  ne- 
"  ver  confidering  the  Lawfulnefs,  the  Exocdi- 
<c  ency,  or  the  Wifdom  of  the  Means  he  ufes, 
*£  nor  attending  to  the  Mifchiefs  or  fatal  Confe- 
c'  quences  that  manifeftly  threaten  either  him- 
"  iclf,  o,  Numbers  of  People,  or  even  whole 
<£  States  and  Kingdoms.  -  The  moft  irnpi- 
ct  ous  as  well  as  the  moft  ridiculous  Notions 
ct  will  be  received  with  Veneration,  by  Per- 
"  ions  of  a  fanatical  Difpolition.  There  was 
"  a  Set  of  Fanatics  for  Inftance,  who  took  a 
<c  Fancy  to  be  godly  and  nakedy  in  Imitation  of 
"  our  firft  Parents  in  their  State  of  Innocency. 
<e  Their  Congregations  were  held  in  a  warm 
"  Stove.  They  put  off  their  Clothes  at  the 
"  Door,  and  the  Men  and  Women,  the  Prieft 
"  not  excepted,  fat  promifcuoufly  upon  Bench- 
*'  es  raised  one  above  another,  without  the  leaft 
"  Covering.  When  their  Devotions  were  en- 


«c 


('3) 

"  dcd,  they  drefs'd  and  went  to  their  Houfes 
c<  in  the  Sinfulnefs  of  worldly  Garments,  (a) 

"  How  limple  and  inoffenfive  foever,  the 
"  Phrenzy  of  fome  Fanatics  may  be,  in  the  In- 

"  fancy    of  their  Religion   yet    as    they 

"  make  Profclytes,  it  generally  appears  that 
11  cunning  and  ambitious  Men  mix  in  their 
"  AfTemblies,  and  lead  the  poor  Ignorants  by 
"•'  Degrees  into  Projects,  for  modelling  the 
"  Laws  and  the  Government  according  to  their 
"  own  wild  Fancies,  the  firft  Step  to  which, 
"  is  by  teaching  them  to  queftion  the  Author!- 
"  ty  of  the  Civil  Magiftrate. 

<c  The  Fanatics  of  moll  Kinds,  have  a&u- 
"  ally  taken  the  Advantage  of  fome  great  Con- 
"  vulfion  or  Divifion  in  the  State,  to  broach 
<c  their  Extravagancies,  as  being  on  feveral  Ac- 
<c  counts  the  moft  fuitable  Seafon  for  favouring 
"  a  weak  or  a  wicked  Caufe  ! 

I  might  Sir  reft  the  Matter  here,  and  appeal, 

whether  from  thefe  Charaderiflics,  Jacobite 

and  Nonjuring  Fanaticifm  doth  not  appear  to 
be  of  all  other  the  moft  fovereign  and  accom- 
plim'd  ?  But  a  few  more  Extracts  from  the 

fame 


(a)  Thefe  Adamttu  were  a  Seft  that  fprung  up  as  early  as 
the  fecond  Century.  They  recommended  the  Monaftic  Life, 
and  made  Vows  of  Continence  as  our  Nonjurors  do,  .tho'  if 
Credit  be  due  to  fome  Hiftorians,  they  were  Examples  of  the 
greateft  Incontineney  in  Practice, 


(14.) 

lame  polite  Writer,  will  not  at  this  Time,  and 
upon  this  Occafion,  be  unacceptable  or  unenter- 
taining  to  the  Friends  ofthzprefent  Government, 

whatever    they    may  be   to Tours.      The 

Doctors  of  this  Church,  (i.  e.  the  Nonjurors 
Church,  adds  he,)  "  tell  us  loudly  there  is  no 
"  coming  at  Salvation,  but  thro*  their  Permif- 
"  fion.  Beware  oj  Counterfeits,  is  in  EffecT: 
"  their  Cry  to  the  People.  We  have  a  Patent 
"  for  a  Monopoly  of  Grace,  and  it  is  not  to 
"  be  had  pure  in  this  Nation  but  thro*  our 
"  Hands."  Is  not  this  the  very  Language  of 
our  Modern  Pulpit  Dr.  Paraceljus,  in  hit 
late  Catechifm  of  bulky  Reputation.  "  A  full, 
*e  true,  and  comprehenfive  View  of  Cbriflianity, 
*c  in  Relation  to  Faith,  Practice,  Worflnp  and 
<£  Rituals,  fet  forth  fincerely  without  Regard 
<e  to  any  Modern  Church,  Setf,  or  Party,  as  it 
<l  'was  taught  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  'was  de» 
*c  liver  d  by  the  Apo files,  and  received  by  the 
"  Univerfal  Church  of  Chri/i,  during  the  four 
"  firjl  Centuries."  Well  fpoken  Dr.!  What 
could  Dr.  Green,  the  famous  Stage  Orator, 
have  faid  more  !  What  could  the  eminent  Dr. 
lay  lor,  the  Oculift,  have  faid  more,  as  to 
couching  a  Cataract,  than  this  Brother  Doffor 
of  his  has  faid,  as  to  curing  us  of  our  Spiritual 
Blindnefs  ! 

There  is  likewife  a  Mixture  of  Madnefs  in 
"Jacobite  and  Nonjuring   Schemes;  £C  their  cer- 

<e  tain  Hopes  have  been  long  fruftrated 

"  but 


c<  but  ftill  thefe  Nonjuring  Fanaticks,  are  of  fo 
"  fanguine  a  Complexion,  that  repeated  Difap- 
<e  pointments  are  a  Cordial  to  their  Spirits,  and 
<c  they  grow  through  Delays  more  confident  of 
"  Succefs  j  they  never  fo  much  as  reflect  on  the 
<e  Medly  of  concurring  Incidents,  both  abroad 
<c  and  at  Home,  which  are  to  combine  in  their 
"  Favour  ,  any  of  which  failing,  their  Chimc- 
ce  rical  Project  vanifheth  into  Smoke.  Befides, 
<e  their  Madnefs  overlooks  the  Bloodfhed  and 
<e  Confufion  it  muft  coft  to  accomplish  their 
<e  wicked  Intentions  ;  and  after  all  in  the  up- 
"  fhot,  it  is  not  likely  they  can  be  Gainers, 
"  but  highly  reafonable  to  imagine  they  them- 
"  felves  would  fall  the  foremofl  Sacrifice  to 
"  their  own  Infatuation. 

"  That  they  are  of  a  reftlefs  and  turbulent 
c<  Spirit,  appears  by  the  late  unnatural  Rebel- 
"  lion,  (a)  in  which  they  were  fo  active  j  by 
"  the  frequent  Riots  and  Tumults,  they  have 
<l  excited  thro'  the  Nation  j  by  the  Seditious 
"  and  Treafonable  Books,  Pamphlets  and  Pa- 
<c  pers,  they  have  publifh'd  ;  by  their  virulent 
"  and  reviling  Speeches,  againft  the  King  and 
"  his  Government ;  and  laftly,  by  the  notori- 
*£  ous  Evidence  of  their  unwearied  Endeavours, 
"  to  engage  Foreign  Powers  to  affilt  their  cruel 

"  Projeds 

(a)  The  Effays  from  whence  thefe  Paflages  are  extra&ed,  were 
wrote  foon  after  the  15  Rebellion:  Upon  comparing  them  with 
the  Conduft  of  our  prefent  Jacobites  and  Nonjuron,  ic  will  be 
found  the  Spirit  of  the  Part/  is  ftill  the  fame. 


"  Projects,  for  embroiling  their  Native  Cotm- 
"  try  in  a  Civil  War." 

As  to  their  Abfurd  Notions ;  "  do  not  the 
*c  Doctors  of  thefe  deluded  People  teach  the 
e<  abfolute  Neceffity  of  Confeffion,  and  facer- 
"  dotal  Abfolution  5  the  uncontroulable  Vali- 
<e  dity  of  human  Benedictions  and  Denuncia- 
* '  tions ;  and  even  the  Ule  of  Prayers  for  the 
"  Dead :  And  all  thefe  manifold  Superftitions,  are 
"  to  the  Deftruction  of  found  Religion,  palm'd 
"  upon  their  Difciples  for  the  more  rerm'd 
«*  Doctrines  of  the  Church  of  England!  Do 
•e  they  not  vehemently  contend  for  abfurd  O- 
"  pinions,  when  they  write  and  preach,  and 
"  talk  fo  warmly  for  the  exalting  of  their  par- 
s' ticular  Scheme  of  Church  Authority,  to  not 
te  only  the  over  ruling,  but  the  Subverfion  of 
<c  the  Civil  Power ;  as  likewife  when  they 
**  make  the  Salvation  of  Mankind,  as  well  as 
*e  their  whole  Title  to  Chriitianity,  depend 
"  upon  fuch  a  Succeffion  of  Priefls  as  cannot 

be  proved. 

"  Is  it  not  a  Contradiction  to  common  Senfe, 
"  to  pretend  to  infure  the  eftablifh'd  Proteftant 
*e  Church,  by  endeavouring  to  fet  a  declared 

<c  Papift  on  the  Throne.  Is  it  not  likewife 

€<  a  notorious  Contradiction  to  preach  up  the 
*£  imminent  Danger  of  this  Church  from  the 
"  Proteftant  Succeflion,  which  is  the  only  hu- 
"  man  Security  {he  can  have. 

Their 


ct 


"  Their  Zeal  is  as  defperate  as  their  Princi- 
"  pies  are  abfurd  ;  fooner  than  quit  their  mad 
<c  Project  they  will  lay  afide  all  Regard  to  the 
"  Laws  of  their  Country,  to  Religion^  and  to 
ee  every  focial  and  moral  Virtue.  The  hazard- 
"  ing  of  their  own  Lives  and  Fortunes,  as  well 
<c  as  the  ruining  of  others;  nay  the  Defolation 
tc  of  the  whole  Ifland,  and  even  of  Mankind, 
<c  would  probably  not  give  the  leaft  Check  to 
"  their  Fanatical  Phrenzy,  could  they  find  a 
"  favourable  Opportunity  to  exert  it  in  its  full 
<e  Vigour. 

From  what  has  been  faid,  it  appears,  "  that 
"  the  Denomination  of  Panaticijm,  tho'  the 
"  vulgar  have  been  taught  otherwife,  is  by  no 
"  Means  applicable  to  People  of  any  Commu- 
<e  nion,  who  live  foberly,  within  an  orderly 
"  Regulation,  and  in  due  Obedience  to  the 
"  Laws  of  their  Country.  Men  may  degene- 
"  rate  into  Fanatics,  under  any  Form  of 
<c  Church  Discipline,  as  well  as  they  may  be- 
tc  come  Slaves  under  the  mew  of  any  Confti- 
"  tution  of  civil  Government.  Inafmuch  as 
"  the  Members  of  any  Church  approach  the 
"  Religious  Phrenzy  particularized  above,  in- 
<c  fomuch  do  they  difcolour  their  Devotion  with 
"  Fanaticifm.  (a) 

C  Thus 


(a)   Freethinker,  publifh'd  by  Dr,  Bwlltr,  la{€  Abp,  <rf 
'#&  fr imate  of  Irelwd* 


Thus  Sir  you  fee  I  have  dar'd  to  make  Re- 
prizals  upon  you,  and  have  thereby  transferr'd 
the  Scene  of  the  War  into  the  Enemies  Coun- 
try. I  have  retorted  the  Charge  of  Fanaticifm 
in  the  Language  of  a  very  Mafterly  Writer. 
If  you  are  flill  commanded  to  Print  away  (the 
Expreflion  will  pleafe,  it  is  your  own)  it  will 
be  neceffary  for  you  to  fummon  your  whole 
Political  Poffe  to  meet  in  a  full  Houfe,  that 
they  may  club  Wits,  and  throw  their  Brains 
into  one  common  Shot,  for  the  Difcharge  of 
this  Reckoning.  I  have  chofen  a  Metaphor  the 
moft  familiar  to  your  Party ;  had  the  Caufe  ow'd 
greater  Homage  to  Mars  than  to  Bacchus,  I 
fhould  have  faid,  it  will  be  neceiTary  to  Mufler 
all  your  Forces  together,  to  {land  upon  the  De- 
fenfive  againft  fo  formidable  an  Author. 

Were  it  requifite  to  add  any  more,  to  difplay 
"Jacobite  and  Nonjuring  Fanaticifm,  in  it's  pro- 
per Drefs,  it  could  not  be  done  to  greater  Ad- 
vantage than  by  tranfcribing  the  Language  and 
Sentiments  of  the  Party,  as  publifh'd  in  their 
own  Writings.  But  I  have  no  competent  Op- 
portunity  at  prefent,  of  doing  this;  however 
fome  Extracts  out  of  one  of  their  admir'd  Chiefs, 
the  late  Dr.  Hicks,  lie  now  before  me ;  after 
having  condemn'd  the  whole  Frame  of  our  Go- 
vernment, in  Church  and  State,  He  proceeds 
thus ;  "  it  is  upon  a  wrong  Bottom  from  the 
"  very  firft  Foundation,  of  it.  Many  falfe  Max- 

"  ims 


(-9) 

ce  ims,   hurtful  to  the  Church,  and   extremely 
"  detrimental    to    the  Chriftian    Religion,  are 
"  receiv'd  for  Law  and  Truth ;  as  that  Tythes 
"  may  become  a  Lay-fee  ;  that  Patronage  is  a 
cc  Lay-fee  ;  that  the  King  is  fupreme  ordinary. 
"  The  Acts  of  Parliament  touching  the  Election, 
<e  and  Confecration  of  Bifhops,"  adds  he  "  arc 
"  Unchriftian,  and  have  been  the  naturals  well 
'•  zs  judicial  Caufe  of  all  the  Mifcries  in  Church 
cc  and  State,  amongft  us  for  many  Years."—— 
And  as  if  this  was  not    enough,  his  Thunder 
grows    louder    and  hotter,  till    at  laft  it  breaks 
upon    us   in    Flames  of  infernal  Fire  and  Fury, 
They"    fays    he,    meaning  the  E/labliJh'd  Cler- 
gy, "  can  perform  no  valid  Acts  of  Priefthood ; 
"  their  very  Pr dyers  are  Sin ;  their  Sacraments 
lf  are  no  Sacraments;  their  Abfolutions  are  null, 
'*  and    of   no  Force-,    God  ratifies    nothing  in. 
"  Heaven,  which    they  do   in  his  Name  upon 
cc  Earth  ;    they,  and    all  that   adhere  to  them, 
"  are  out   of  the  Church  ;  they   can  claim  no 
ce  Benefits   of  God's  Promifes ;    no,  not  of  his 
"  affifting   Grace,    nor   of    Remirlion  of  Sins, 
"  thro'  the  Merits  of  Chrift's  Blood ;  nay,  tho* 
c|  they  mould  die  Martyrs  in  the  Schifm,  their 
"  Martyrdom  would   not  be  accepted  ;  if  they 
lc  could  die  Martyrs  more  than  once,  they  could 
"  not  make  amends  for   their  Sint  with  their 
<f  Blood.''      Here  the   Clergy  of  the  Church  of 

England  are  all  damn'd  in  a  Breath  :   The 

Hands  of  Omnipotence  are  ty'd  up  from  flrew- 


(20) 

ing  them  any  Favour ;  and  Salvation  itfelf  can- 
not fave  them. Heavens  preferve  all  Prote- 

Jlants,  from  falling  a  Sacrifice  to  the  Tyranny 
of  fuch  an  uncatholick,  Catbolick  Church  as  this ! 
When  he  talks  of  the  Priefthood,  his  favourite 
Phrafes,  are  thefe,  "  the  Kingdom  of  the 
"  Church-,  the  Ihrones  of  Royal  Pri efts ;  Vice* 
"  ge rents  of  the  Eternal  Melchezideck  j  Spiri- 
"  tual  Principalities.  Thouk"  fays  he,  "  may- 
<£  eft  fee  the  Necks  of  Kings  and  Princes,  bow- 
ee  ed  down  to  the  Knees  of  Rifhops :  The  Em- 
<e  peror  fubmits  his  Head  to  the  Hands  of  the 
"  Priefl:  Let  the  Bifhop  be  honoured  as  God." 
Is  not  this  pure  and  Orthodox  Doctrine !  He 
proceeds  to  tell  us  his  Sentiments,  (and  I  make 
no  doubt  Sir,  but  they  are  yours  too)  that  it  is 
lefs  heinous  to  be  prefent  at  divine  Offices, 
where  Aoe  Marias  &c.  are  fa  id,  than  to  pray 
for  our  Proteftanf  Sovereigns.  Nay,  for  my 
own  Part,  fays  he,  "  I  had  rather  as  a  Priefl:, 
c*  fay  Prayers  in  a  Congregation  to  Saints  and 
"  Angels,  which  is  only  forbid  by  a  pofitive 
ct  Law,  than  thofe  Prayers  by  which  my  King 
"  is  abus'd,  abjur'd,  curs'd,  and  the  righteous 
"  King  of  Kings  moft  horribly  Blafphemed."{a) 
Thefe  are  fome  of  the  Doctrines  of  the  Nonju- 
rors ;  fanatical  ones  I  take  leave  to  call  them  ; 
that  are  palm'd  upon  Mankind  for  the  Truth, 

as  it  is,  in  Jefus.     And  what  can  we  think 

of  thofe  Perfons  amongft  us,  who  call  them- 

felves 

(a)  Collection  of  Dr.  fliVJ's  Letters,  referr'd  to  by  Dr.  Ktnntt, 
in  his  Letter  to  the  JBp.  of  Carliflt. 


(21) 

felves  Proteftants,  join  in  Communion  with 
Proteftants,  and  yet  adopt  fo  portentous  a  Syf- 

tem  ? What  {hall  we  think  of  thofe  who  of* 

ficiate  at  our  Proteflant  Altars,  and  yet  are  for 
eftabliihing  fuch  Antiproteftant  Tyranny ,  Prieft* 
craft,  Ab/urdities  and  Superftitions  ?  Muft  they 
not  be  Hypocrites ;  as  true  and  yet  deceivers  ? 

Nay,  rather   muft  they  not   be   Athei/ts? 

However,  this   we  may  fafely  lay, 

Their  Lives  make  dtheijls,  and  their  DoSrines  Slaves! 

But  I  fhould  be  glad  to  learn,  iS/'r,  what  it 
is  upon  your  Principles  that  conftitutes  a  Fana- 
tic? Will  you  charge  Fanaticifm  upon  any 
Set  of  Opinions,  that  are  confiftent  with  the 
Peace  and  good  Order  of  Society  j  and  with 
that  Obedience  which  is  due  to  the  Civil  Ma- 
gi/Irate? Doth  Fanaticifm  confift  in  wearing  a 
Coat  or  a  Cloak,  rather  than  a  CafTock  ?  or  in 
wormipping  God  in  a  Structure,  where  there 
is  no  Bell  or  no  Organ  ?  Be  tender  how  you 
affert  thefe  Things,  leaft  you  bring  your  Non- 
juring  Friends  under  the  fame  Imputation.  But 
Should  you  give  fuch  a  fatal  Stab  to  their  Or- 
thodoxy,   you'll  only  ftand  convifted  of 

Chance  Medley,  and  not  of  premeditated  Mur- 
der. 'Tis  taken  for  granted,  that  to  charge 
Nonjurors  with  Fanaticifm,  is  as  ivide  of  your 
Intention,  as  a  Nonjuror's  Creed  is  wide  of  com- 
mon Senfe,  and  the  Bible.  'Tis  prefumed  you 
mean  no  more  by  Fanatics,  than  that  they  are 
a  Set  of  Men  whom  you  cordially  and  devoutly 


(22) 

hatcy  and  would  have  God  do  fo  too.  But, 
however,  you  and  your  Friends  arrogate  to 
yourfelves,  the  Name  of  the  true  CbHftian,  Ca- 
tholick  Church,  you'll  excufe  me,  if  for  on,ce 
I  remit  you  for  Inftruction,  I  had  almoft  faid 
to  the  more  Chriftian,  but  I  muft  fay  to  the 
more  Catholick  Pagans. 

'Tis  a  Principle  among  the  Perfian  Bram- 
mines,  that  whoever  feeks  God  with  Sincerity 
and  Uprightnefs,  whether  he  believes  him  to 
be  the  Sun,  or  the  Moon,  or  fome  other  Being, 
fhall  be  acceptable  to  him.  Accordingly,  fay 
they,  on  a  certain  Time,  a  Muffulman,  feeing  an 
Hindoo,  i.  e.  a  Pagan  Prieft  in  Heaven,  he 
afk'd  God  how  that  Infidel,  whom  Mahomet 
calls  by  the  Name  of  bitter  Roof,  came  thither  ? 
-  The  Deity  anfwers  :  If  a  bitter  Root  bring 
forth  Jweeter  Fruit  than  any  of  you,  why 
(hould  I  not  receive  him  ;  whereupon,  the  Muf- 
fulman  was  Speechlefs.  (a)  Now,  Sir,  whilfl 
you  charge  any  of  your  Proteftant  Neighbours, 
(it  would  be  a  Solecifm  in  me  to  fay  your  Fel- 
low P  rot  eft  ants,)  with  Fanaticifm,  without  of- 
fering any  Evidence  to  fupport  the  Charge  ;  or 
whilft  you  call  them  bitter  Root  in  the  Ortho- 
dox Muffulman's  Language  j  if  thefe  very  Men 
bring  forth  fweeter  Fruits  than  you,  what  Au- 
thority have  you  to  condemn  them?  If  they 
are  better  Friends  to  rational  Religion,  to  the 

Civil 


(a)  Btddaris  Phil.  Tranf.  Vol  3-  P« 


(23) 

Civil  and  Sacred  Rights  of  Mankind,  to  the 
Government  under  which  they  live  ;  better 
Friends  to  the  Conftitution,  to  their  Country, 

and  to  King  GEORGE,  than  you  ;  or 

even  fuppofing  that  they  are  no  better  Friends 
to  all  thefe  than  you ;  whatever  others  have  a 
Right  to  do,  I  cannot  fee  with  what  Decency 
you  can  profcribe  them.  Will  you  allow  no 
Roots  to  bring  forth  fweet  Fruits,  but  thofe 
whofe  Branches  have  been  lopp'd  off  by  Rebel- 
lion ?  Where  is  there  one  of  thofe  you  call  Fa- 
natics, (produce  me  a  fingle  Inftance  in  all 
England  if  you  can!)  that,  during  our  late 
Diffractions,  was  even  fufpected  of  DifafFcclion 
to  the  Proteftant  Prince  that  fits  on  the  Briti/h 
Throne  ?  Where  can  you  produce  an  Inftance, 
among  any  of  our  Fanatical  Clergy,  of  one  who 
went  on  his  Knees  in  the  pub  lick  Streets,  (as 
you  know  who  did,)  to  pray  for  the  Young  Pre- 
tender as  he  paraded  it  thro'  Salford,  at  the 
Head  of  his  Highland  Rabble  ? 

Will  you  have  any  more  upon  this  Subject  ? 
Compare  your  own  Principles,  and  the  Princi- 
ples of  thofe  you  brand  with  Fanaticifm,  toge- 
ther; and  then  toReafon  let  us  appeal which 

are  the  more  Fanatical  of  the  two  ?  As  your 
charge  of  Fanaticifm  is  directly  pointed  at  me, 
I  may  for  once  be  allow'd  to  perfonate  that 
Party,  you  would  wound  thro'  my  Sides.  'Tis 
one  of  my  Principles,  that  all  Party  Cant,  and 
Watch  Words,  propagated  with  a  View  to  di- 

fturb 


fturb  the  Peace  of  Society ;  to  inflame  and  ex- 
afperate    Men's   Minds    againft  the  eftablifh'd 

Government,  are  the  Language  of  Sedition, 

that  all  fuch  Seditious  Cries  are  the  Seeds  of 
Treafon,  and  want  only  to  be  cherifh'd  by  the 
Sun- (hine  of  fuccefsful  Faction,  in  order  tori- 
pen  into  Rebellion.  'Tis  one  of  yours,  that 
fuch  Seditious  Cries  are  only  decent  Expreffions 
of  Zeal  for  the  Church  j  and  that  to  be  a  bad 
Neighbour,  or  a  bad  Citizen,  is  of  great  Im- 
portance towards  conftituting  the  Character  of 
a  good  Churchman.  'Tis  one  of  my  Principles, 
that  if  a  Man  fwears  Allegiance  to  the  Govern- 
ment that  protects  him,  —  God  will  not  be  fo 
fevere  as  to  damn  him  for  paying  it  $  and  that 
therefore  he  is  not  oblig'd  to  perjure  himfelf 
for  Conference  fake.  'Tis  one  of  yours,  that 
Perjury,  when  practis'd  by  Jacobites  is  no  Sin, 
nay  the  greateft  of  all  Political  Virtues ;  and 
that  Jacobite  Rebellion  is  no  Act  of  Treafon. 
'Tis  one  of  my  Principles,  that  mewing  religi- 
ous Honours  to  Rebel  Skulls,  as  empty  now 
they  are  fix'd  on  the  Exchange,  as  they  were 
when  fix'd  on  the  Shoulders  that  once  wore 
them,  is  falfe  Worfhty  in  the  Chriflian  Senfe, 
but  true  Nonjuring  and  Jacobite  Devotion. 
'Tis  one  of  yours,  that  preferring  a  Prayer  to 
thefe  up-flart  Deities,  is  worfhipping  the  Lord 
in  the  Beauty  of  Holinefs,  is  worshipping  him 
in  Spirit  and  in  'Truth.  'Tis  one  of  my  Prin- 
ciples, that  the  Church  of  England's  greateft 

Enemies 


jimmies  are  her  pretended  Friends,  who  always 
fpread  abroad  tumultuous  Alarms  of  her  Dan* 
ger,  and  aflert  the  Body  to  be  independent  cf 
§ie  Head  that  governs  it  'Tis  one  of  yours, 
that  the  Church  of  England's  beft  Friend f  are 
her  avow'd  and  open  Enemies ;  that  damn  and 
hereticatc  her  as  a  Schi/matical,  Antichriftian 
Church  !  'Tis  one  of  my  Principles,  that  a  Pro- 
teflant  Church  requires  a  Proteftant  Prince  to 
be  her  Faith's  Defender  j  but  is  it  not  one  of 
Your's,  ^deny  it  if  you  can)  that  the  Puppet  of 
Rome,  would  be  a  Guardian  Angel  to'  the 
Churches  of  Britain  ?  Juft  fo,  the  Sheep  can 
never  be  fafe  till  they  are  undef  the  Wolf's 
Patronage  and  Protection  !  The  Dove  can  never 
be  fafe  till  the  Hawk  has  her  for  his  Quarry! 
'Tis  one  of  my  Principles,  that  the  Authority 
of  a  paltry  Magazine,  is  at  all  Times  as  in- 
fallible, as  that  of  y9ur  good  Friend  the  Pope. 

But  is   it  not   one  of  yours,  that  a  paltry 

Magazine,  inverts  the  Nature  of  Things,  and 
makes  Truth  Falfhood ;  acknowledged,  and  in- 
difputable  Fafts,  to  be  notorious  and  fcandalous 
impofture  \  Surely,  Sir,  it  might  have  been  a 
Popifi  Magazine,  by  it's  working  fuch  Miracles' 
as  thefe !  You  confefs,  that  Devotion  has  been 
paid  to  the  Gods  Jpik'd  up  on  the  Exchange^ 
and  yet,  it  is  a  Crime  in  me,  to  refer  to  a  Para- 
graph in  a  Magazine  that  fays  fo. Would' 

you  gravel  an  Adverfary,  engaged  in  a  bad 
Caufe? Speak  Truth  •,  nothing  gravels  him, 

P  more 


(a6) 

more.  But  I'll  not  prefs  you  on  this  Head 
any  further.  As  then,  I  difown  the  Authori- 
ty of  every  Gofpel,  but  Chrift's  5  fufFer  me  next 
to  examine, 

Whether  Cbrift's  Gofpel  or  the  Nonjuror's 
Gofpel,  be  the  new  one  j  and  which  of  the  two 
is  the  more  rational  and  authentic  ?  And  now 
the  new  Catechifm,  (a)  whofe  pompous  Title 
was  taken  Notice  of  above,  falls  under  Confi- 

* 

deration.  It  would  be  no  difficult  Matter  to 
unprofelyte  all  the  learned  Doffor's  Profelytes, 
nnd  to  overturn  the  Foundation  of  his  Unive?-- 
Ja/>  Catholick  Church,  built  up  at  Manchefter, 
would  his  Difciples  but  make  this  previous 
Conceflion,  that  there  is  no  Herefy  in  being 
guided  by  common  Senfe,  in  Matters  of  Reli- 
gion ;  that  a  Man  may  be  devout,  without  re- 
nouncing his  Reafon  ;  very  good,  without  being 
very^£//y,  and  fit  for  Heaven,  without  being  fit 
for  Bedlam. 

The  firft  Chapter  I  {hall  take  Notice  of  in 
this  new  Go/pel,  is,  the  Chapter  of  Tradition. 
This,  our  Author  looks  upon  as  more  facred 
and  infallible,  than  the  infpired  Writings,  as 
appears  from  his  giving  it  the  Preheminenct  a- 

bove 


(a)  This  Catcchifm,  is  not  only  faid  to  be  wrote  by  Dr.  Deacon 
a  Nonjuring  Prieft  or  Bifhop,  and  Phyfician  at  Manchejier,  but 
is  acknowledg'd  as  his  by  his  Friends ;  which  juftifies  my  wnfi- 
«Uring  him  as  {he  Author  of  it. 


(27) 

bove  them,  (a)  'Tis  entirely  foreign  to  my 
Purpofe,  to  ranfack  the  Reveries  of  the  Fathers* 
To  feek  for  unadulterated,  found  Learning,  and 
good  Senfe  among  them,  would  be  as  abfurd 
•and  fruitlefs,  as  to  ranfack  for  jewels  in  a  Dung- 
hill, 'Tis  allow'd,  that,  even  in  the  early  A- 
ges  of  Chriftianity,  Corruption  grew  apace  in 
the  Church,  as  the  rankeft  Weeds  always  grow 
in  the  richeft  Soil.  However,  were  it  of  any 
confiderable  importance,  it  might  eafily  be 
/hewn,  that  in  the  fecond  Century,  and  fome  time 
after,  there  was  no  Divinity  ftamp'd  upon  Tra- 
dition. "  If  you  are  Chriftians  (in  the  Origi- 
nal,  Difciples  of  the  Gofpel,  fays  one  of  the 
Fathers)  "  make  the  Scriptures  your  Rule? 
"  but  if  you  will  talk  of  unwritten  Traditions, 
te  what  Bufmefs  have  you  with  us,  who  pay 
"  no  Regards  to  any  Thing,  but  what  is  writ- 
"  ten.  (b)  We  affirm  nothing  without  the  Scrip- 
"  tures"  (c)  faith  another,  "  The  holy  Scrip- 
et  tures  are  fufficient  to  propagate  the  Truth ; 
<c  and  it  is  fufficient  to  believe  what  is  writ- 
"  ten,"  is  the  Language  of  a  Third,  (d)  But  if 
you  would  fee  fome  more  Authorities  of  this 
Kind,  I  refer  you  to  the  Margin. 

D  z  Such 


(a)  Of  TraJitioKt  and  Scriptures.  Cat.  p.  34. 

(b)  Chns  de  Incar.  Chrijli  cont.  Afoll.  Tom.  I.  p.  6*1. 

(c)  Clem.  Alex.  Strom.  1.  6. 

(d)  Atban.  contr.  Gentes  et  de  Incarnat.  Chrifti. 

To  the  fame  Purpofe.  Quae  pertinent  ad  verara  Religionem  quaeren- 
damet  tenendam  divina  Scriptura  non  tacuit.  Augufl.  Epift.  42. 
In  iis  qu«  apcrte  in  Scriptura  pofita  funt,  inveniuncur  Ilia  Omnia 


Such  is  the  Force  of  Truth,  that  it  even  ex- 
torts  from  Bellarmine,  the  great  Champion 
of  Romifi  Infallibility ;  the  following  Confef- 
fion,  "All  tnofe  Things  are  commited  to 
"  Writing  by  the  Apoftles,  which  are  necef- 
"  fary  for  all  Men,  and  which  they  generally 
"  preach'd  to  all.*'  fa)  But  were  all  the  Fa- 
thers to  be  enliftcd  into  this  Gentleman's  Ser- 
vice, —  what  would  that  prove  ?  What,  but 
this,  that  thefe  Fathers  of  the  Church,  as  fome 
affect  to  call  them,  were  mere  Children  in  Un- 
derftanding.  Thefe  Fathers,  whofe  Names 
are  fo  venerable,  whofe  Doctrines  are  fo  infal- 
lible, and  whofe  Authority  is  fo  facred,  

who,    or   what    were  they  ? They  were  a 

Set  ot  weak,  but  one  would  hope  well- deigning 
Men,  who   entertained  ten  thoufand    wild  and 

ridiculous 

Cuae  continent  Fidem,  Morefqj  vivendi.  Aug.  de  Doft.  ChrifU. 
2.  c.  q  Side  describing  a  venerable  Body  of  antient  Chrifti- 
»ns,  fays,  Tantum  ea  quae  in  Propheticis,  Evangelicis,  et  Apofto- 
Jicis  Literis,  difcere  poterant,  obfervantes.  Hiji.  1.  3.  c.  4.  Om- 
»ia  ea  qua;  abfq;  Teftimoniis  Scripturarum  afleruntur,  percutiun- 
tur  Gladio  Dei.  Hieron  in  Agge.  c.  i.  and  P.  Gregory  the  firft 
fays,  In  hoc  Volunine,  cuncta  quae  edificant,  Omnia  quas  erudi- 
uat,  Scripta  continentur.  Homil.  ^.  in  Ezek.  Gratian  a  Benedic  • 
tine  Monk,  who  lived  in  the  i'2ih  Century,  expreffes  himfelf  to 
the  fame  Purpofe.  Si  folus  Chnftus  audiendus  eft,  non  debemus 
mttendere,  quid  aliquis  ante  nos  faciendum  putaveric,  fed  quid  prius, 
qui  ante  Omnes  eft  Chriftus  prior  fue'rit,  neque  ehim'hujus  Con- 
fuetudihem  fequi  oportet,  fed  Dei  Veritatem,  cum  djcat  fine  Caufa 
eolunt  me,  Mandata  et  Doftrinas  Hominom  docentes.  Qrat.  Dift. 
e.  8.  Veritati  eonfueludo  cedat.-^ — -Si  Confuecudinem  fortaffis 
bpponas,  advertendum  eft  quod  Dominusdicit,  ego  fum  Via  Veri- 
tas  et  vita,  non  dixit  ego  fum  Confuetudo  fed  veritas. 

Gratian  Djftin.  c.  8. 
(a)  Sell,  de  Verb.  Dei  non  Script.  1.  4,  c.  1 1. 


(29) 

ridiculous  Fancies,  foolifh  and  extravagant  O- 
pinions,  which  they  believ'd  themfelves ;  and 
palm'd  upon  others,  who  had  Credulity  e- 
nough  to  believe  upon  their  Authority,  for  the 
Doctrines  of  Religion.  They  faid,  and  unfaid 
the  fame  Things,  folemnly  contradicted  each 
other;  inftead  of  arguing,  they  allegoriz'dj 
they  rav'd,  inftead  of  reafoning ;  and  did  all 
in  the  Name  of  the  Lord.  "  Whoever,"  fays 
an  ingenious  Author,  "  has  feen  Solomon's  Tem- 
"  pie  allegoriz'd  by  John  Bunyan,  may  find 
f*  there,  a  Specimen  of  the  Sagacity  and  Abi- 
t{  lities  of  the  Fathers,  in  explaining  of  Scrip- 
<c  ture.  According  to  John,  there  was  not  a 
"  Nail  in  that  Temple  but  had  its  Typical 
"  Purpofe;  and  every  Bafon,  and  Pair  of 
"  Tongs  prefigured  fome  great  Myftery  to  come : 
"  In  fhort,  every  Stone,  and  every  Tool  in  the 
"  Temple  prophefied.  And  in  all  this,  the 
tf  poor  pious  Tinker  treads  in  the  Steps  of  the 
"  Fathers,  without  knowing  it.  As  he  had 
**  much  more  Hone/iy,  and  a  more  quiet  and  be* 
<{  nefaent  Spirit  than  any  of  themj  fo  he  had 
*'  as  much  Invention,  and  was  full  as  equal  to 
<c  the  Bufinefs  of  Allegory,  as  the  beft  of  them  ; 
cc  and  his  Fancy  was  not  more  heated  than 
*  *  theirs  -,  and  whoever  reads  his  Pilgrim's  Pro- 
"  grefs,  need  only  fuppofe  himfelf  reading  one 
of  the  brighteft  Fathers  in  Engti/h,  and  he'll 
make  them  no  ill  Compliment  j  for  his  Ima- 
gination, which  was  a  very  good  one,  was 

*<  more 


c< 


(30) 

"  more  regular  and  correct  than  theirs."  Thefc 
venerable  Fathers,  or  if  you  pleafe,  venerable 
Mothers^  of  your  learned  Friend's  Catbolick 
Church ;  for  thefe,  he  allures  us,  conceivd  and 
brought  herjorth, — —what  abfurd  Doctrines  have 
they  not  taught,  and  inculcated  in  their  Writ- 
ings?  One  of  them  tells  us,  that  formerly 

wicked  Demons,  not  known  to  be  fuch,  de- 
bauch'd  Women,  defH'd  Boys,  and  were  all 
this  while  miitaken  for  Gods,  (a)  — .Or/gr/z,  one 
of  the  wifeft  among  them,  had  more  Charity 
for  the  Devil,  than  your  learned  Catechift  has 
for  the  Members  of  the  Church  of  England, 
and  Proteftants  of  every  other  Denomination. 
He  believ'd  that  the  Devil  might  be  fayed; 
whilft  your  Catholick  Friend  will  difpenfe  Sal- 
vation to  thofe  only  of  his  own  Party  and  Com- 
munion :  For  he  affures  us,  that  there  is  no 
Salvation  ordinarily  to  be  obtained  by  any  o- 
ther.  (b)  But  if  fo  much  Deference  be  due  to 
fome  of  the  Doctrines  and  Practices  of  the  Fa- 
thers, why  not  to  all  ?  Origen,  you'll  remember 
I  call'd  him  one  of  the  wijc(l%  thro*  a  miftaken 
Interpretation  of  a  Text  of  Scripture,  and  a 
frantic,  incontinent  Zeal,  was  literally  made  an 
Eunuch  for  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  He  got 

himfelf 


(a)  For  Want  of  Greek  Types  fubftitute  the  following  Tranfla- 
tion.    Olim  mali  Daemones  per  Speftra  apparentes,  mulieres  con- 

ftuprarunt,  et  Pueros  imminuerunt, Dziuones  malos   effc  ne^ 

fciebant,  Decs  illos  vocarcnt.  Tuft.  p.  10. 

(b)  Cat.  p.  i6z. 


himfelf  caftrated  for  God's  fake,  like  the  Priefts 
of  the  Phrygian  Goddefs. 

Phrygio 

More,  Supervacuam  cultris  abfcinderc  Carnem  (a) 

j 
Why,  doth  not  your  learned  Friend  the  Dr. 

and  his  Difciples  follow  this  Example,  whiLft 
they  pretend  fo  much  Devotion  to  the  Fathers, 
efpecially  as  he  allows  Matrimony  to  be  only 
like  Silver,  but  Continence  like  Gold,  which  is 
much  better  ?  But  I  correct  myielf ;  if  fo, 
there  would  be  none  left  to  raife  up  a  Seed  of 
Martyrs.  But  whatever  Deference,  any  may 
pay  to  the  Opinions  of  the  Fathers,  we  owe 
a  fiill  greater  Deference  to  Truth.  The  Au- 
thority of  St.  Cyprian  fhould  be  of  very  little 
Weight,  when  it  ftands  in  Oppofition  to  the 
Authority  of  Chrift  Jefus  ;  and  having  Clemens 
^ilexandrinus  on  your  Side,  is  nothing  at  all  to 
the  Purpofe,  whilft  common  Senfe  is  againfl 
you.  The  Truth  is,  as  a  learned  Church  Hi- 
Jiorian  obferves,  (b)  The  Church  maintained 
her  Virgin  Puritys  in  the  Apoflle's  Days,  and 

Error 


(a)  Javen.   Sat.  2. 

(b)  Ecclefia  ad  hsec  ufq;  tempera  inftar   cujusdam  Virginia  in- 
ttaram  atq;  incorruptam  permanfifle :  ad  hue  in  obfcuro  Receffu 
deliteicentibus,  quicur.q;   redftam   przdicationis   evangelicz  Regu- 
lam  dcpravare  niterentur.     Sed  poflquam  Sacer  Apoitolorum  Cz- 
tus  vano  Mortis  genere  extinftus  eft,  effluxeracq;  jam  -<Etas  Homi- 
num  illorum  qui  Divinam  ipfam  Sapientiam   fuis  Auribus   aufcul- 
tare  merueranc :  tune  demum  exona  eft,  impii  error  is  Confpiratio, 
Fraude  e{  Malitu  falforum  Doctor  am. 

Eufcb,  Eccl.  Hift.  lib.  3.  c.  32. 


Error  could  at  moft  but  ikulk  about  m  Cor- 
ners, when  it  endeavoured  to  corrupt  pure 
Christianity ;  but  after  the  Apoftolical  Age,  all 
Manner  of  Error  and  Impofture,  made  a  rapid 
Progrefs,  and  had  a  diffufive  fpread.  Return 
we  then  to  the  Hinge,  upon  which  this  Con- 
troverfy  turns ;  to  that  which  is  the  Sheet  An- 
chor of  our  Author's  Caufe.  Would  you  know 
what  new  Gofpel  is  the  Mint,  in  which  he 
coins  all  his  Superftitions  ?  What  fhould  it  be, 
but  the  Gofpel  of  Tradition.  The  Council  of 
Trent  (a)  requires,  that  the  Oral  Traditions  of 
the  Church  of  Rome,  Jhould  be  received  with 
tbejame  Reverence  and  pious  AJfeftion,  as  a  writ- 
ten Revelation. But  your  learned  Friend  in  his 

new  more    enlarged  and  improved    Edition  of 

Popery , not  only  fets  Tradition  on  a   Level 

with  •  the  Scriptures,  but  by  the  Precedence  he 
gives  it  in  the  Titles  to  his  Leflbns,  plainly  fets 
it  above  them.  But  why  doth  not  our  Catecbiji 
fpeak  out,  as  a  Man  of  Integrity  ought  to  doj 
and  declare  his  Sentiments  plainly  ?  Why  doth 
he  not  declare,  that  the  Scriptures  are  not  a  fuf- 
ficient  Rule  of  Faith  and  Manners  ;  that  they 
do  not  contain  all  that  is  necejfary  to  Salvation  ; 
that  the  Old  and  New  Teftament  Revela- 
tion is  of  itfelf  imperfeft,  and  wants  a  fupple- 
mental,  Traditionary  Revelation,  deliver'd  by  the 
Mouth  of  a  Nonjuring  Prieft,  to  mend  it  ?  The 

Reafon 


(a)  Pari  Pietatis  Affeftu,  ac  ReveiWtia  SufcipH  ac  veneratur. 

Cone,  Trid,  Ssff.  4r 


(33) 

Reafon  is  obvious ; his  Pills  and  his  Super* 

flitions,  when  gilded  o'er,  are  fvvallow'd  down 
more  glibly !  Were  it  it  not  for  this,  would 
he  not  with  the  Council  of  Trent y  (aj  devoutly 
curfe  all  who  refmfe  to  receive  his  Tradition 
ble!  But  then,  what  muft  we  do,  when 
find  that  the  Pope's  Catholic  Church,  and  the 
Nonjuror's  Catholic  Church,  militate  againft  each 
other,  that  the  different  Seels  in  the  Romijh 
Church,  for  Infallibility  herfelf  has  her  Sects 
and  Parties,  are  much  divided  in  their  Senti- 
ments as  to  Apoftolical  Tradition, (b)  Thus  fome 
Romanics  plead  Apoftolical  Tradition,  for  the 
Ufe  of  Incenfe ;  and  others  are  as  peremptory, 
that  it  has  no  fuch  Apoftolical  Tradition  to  fup- 
port  it.  Some  pretend  Apoftolical  Tradition 
for  the  Pope's  Supremacy  >  and  this  Apoftolical 
Tradition  is  by  others  as  confidently  exploded. 
Some  urge,  infallibly  be  fure,  Apoftolical  Tra- 
dition for  offering  the  Sacrifice  of  Mafs  for 
Souls  in  Purgatory  ;  and  this  fame  Apoftolical 
Tradition  is  by  others  as  infallibly  rejected. 
Nay,  which  is  more,  the  Afian  Churches  a!- 
ledg'd  Apoftolical  Tradition  for  obferving  Ea- 
Jlert  in  Imitation  of  the  Jeiviflj  Paffbver,  on  the 
J4th  Day  of  the  Moon  ;  the  Weflern  Church- 
es produced  Apoftolical  Tradition  againft  it. 

E  Each 

(a)  Si  quis  Traditiones — contempferit,  Anathema  fit. 

Cone.  Trid.  Seff.  4, 

(b)  Nulla  Religionis  Sefta  eafdem  obfervat  Ccremonias,   licet 
eandem  de  Deo  Sententiam  ampledatur :  Etenim  qui  ejusdam  funt 
f  idei.  iifdcm  in  Ritibus  inter  fc  difcntiunt. 

Sttr.  Hift.  Eccle.  1.  ^ 


(3+) 

Each  Party  in  this  Cafe  pleaded  Apoftolical 
Tradition,  to  fanclify  their  Rage,  and  confecrate 
their  DhTentions,  till  at  laft  in  the  4th  Century, 
the  Nicene  Council  put  it  to  the  Vote,  which 
Apoftolical  Tradition  was  mofl' *  Apoflolical  of  the 
two,  and  determined  it  in  Favour  of  the  We- 
fern  Churches.  Now,  if  it  be  afk'd,  what 
muft  a  Man  do  amidft  the  Contrails  of  Infalli- 
bility in  different  Churches,  and  amidft  the 
Clafliings  of  Apoftolical  Tradition  ?  Why,  he  muft 
do  as  well  as  he  can.  He  muft  believe  the  Pope's 
Church  Infallibility  to  be  in  the  Right  when 
he  is  at  Rome,  and  the  Dotfor's  Church  Infal- 
libility to  be  in  the  Right  when  he  is  at  Man- 
chefter,  and  then  he  is  fure  to  be  in  the  Right 
In  both  Places.  Now,  who  can  doubt  of  the 
Infallibility  of  Tradition,  when  its  Evidence  is 
fo  plain,  and  indifputable  in  Matters  that  the 
Church  determines  to  be  of  the  laft  Importance, 
as  we  have  now  fhewn  it  to  be  ?  Your  learned 
Friend's  Patients,  would  they  not,  when  their 
Lives  are  in  imminent  Danger,  think  it  fuffici- 
cnt  that  He  mould  chafe -away  Death  from  their 
Bodies,  as  He  drives  away  the  Devi/  from  their 
Souls,  with  a  mere  Oral  Prefcription  ?  Would 
not  his  Heirs  think  it  fufficient,  that  they  have 
an  Oral  Title  to  their  Eftates  ?  And  would  not 
the  World  be  as  wife,  as  it  is  now  likely  to  be, 
had  his  Catechi/m  been  handed  down  to  Man- 
kind only  by  the  Medium  of  Oral  Tradition  ? 
—Beyond  -  all  Manner  of  doubt  it  would ! 

An 


(35) 

An  unanfwerabls  Argument  in  his  Service ! 
'Tis  Demonstration  itfelf,  and  what  would 
your  Ranting  Fanatics  have  more ! 

I  mould  be  glad,  if  your  learned  Friend  the 

Catechift,  would  inform  me, he'll  eafily  learn 

it  from  the  Gofpel  of  Tradition,  how  many  of 
the  Faithful^  that  is,  how  many  Nonjurors 
there  were  at  Mancbefter  in  1688,  that  refu- 
fed  Allegiance  to  King  William  ?  If  Tradition 
be  a  fure  Guide  to  go  by,  when  its  Doc- 
trines are  tranfmitted  down  thro*  a  long  Sue- 
ceffion  of  Ages,  much  more  muft  it  be  infalli- 
ble in  its  Teftimony,  in  Relation  to  Affairs 
tranfacted  in  the  prefent  Age.  If  we  may  rely 
upon  it's  Authority,  as  to  what  was  practis'd 
or  believ'd  1700  Years  ago,  much  more  will 
it  inform  us  as,  to  the  determinate  Number  of 
Nonjurors  in  Mancheftert  in  1688  !  I  do  not 
know  of  any  written  Records  that  has  tranf- 
uiitted  down  to  us  this  important  Piece  of  Hifto- 
ricai  Knowledge.  Now  to  know  what  was  the 
State  of  your  Friend's  Catholic  Church,  in  a 
Time  of  general  Apoftacy  and  Defection,  is 
certainly  a  Point  of  Religion,  a  Point  of  very 
great  Importance  too ;  and  upon  your  Friend? $ 
Principles,  worthy  of  the  peculiar  Interposition 
of  Heaven.— -If  you  have  no  written  Record? 

to  produce, undoubtedly  you  can  fupply  the; 

Want  of  them  in  this  Cafe,  from  the  Gofpel 
ofcumoritten  Tradition  !  What  are  new  Go/pels 
qr  new  Fafiions  for,  if  they  do  not  fupply  the 


(36) 

Defeats  and  Imperfections  of  thofe  old  exploded 
Caft-aiuay  Go/pels  and  Fa/bidtis,  that  were  in 

vogue   before  them? Your   learned    Friend 

the  Ctitecbifti  who  'tis  prefum'd  mud  be  well 
vers'd  in  HJfpoerflte? s  Writings,  yet  would  in- 
difputably  allow,  that  he  had  Authority  fuffi- 
cient  to  believe,  that  Hippocrates  was  no  .  . 
Phyfician,  if  it  was  but  handed  down  to  him 
by  Tradition,  that  his  Grandmother^  Great 
Grandmother^  and  Great  Great  Grandmother 
believ'd  fo  before  him.  The  Miracle  of  Loret- 
toy  and  you  know  what  a  jweet  ijenny  that 
Miracle  brings  in  to  the  Priefls,,  is  built  upon 
as  ftrong  a  Foundation.  A  certain  Countryman 
recollected,  that  his  Grandfather  once  told  him, 
that  his  Great  Great  Grandfather  faw  Angels 
convey  Santa  Cafa,  the  Bleffed  Virgin's  Houfe, 
over  the  Sea,  to  Loretto>  when  he  was  a  Boy, 
and  at  Work  in  the  Fields,  (a) 

I  might  proceed  to  obferve,  that  the  Religi- 
pn  of  Tradition  is  fo  far  from  being  fubfervi- 
ent  to,  that  it  is  quite  deftruclive  of  the  Reli- 
gion of  Virtue  and  Goodnefs. That  it  only 

teaches  Men  to  rely  on  a  finfcl  Sanctity,  inftead 

of  Sterling  Piety  and  Devotion, that  it  an- 

fwers  no  other  End,  than  to  make  good  Churchmen , 
without  being  good  Men;  and  that  inftead  of 
reforming  the  World,  it  improves  and  multiplies 
its  Corruptions  5— that  a  Man  may  put  on  a 

white 

(a)  Labels,  apud  Harris's  Collection  of  Voyages,  Tojn.  ?. 


(37) 

Garment,  and  at  the  fame  Time  wear  a 
black  Confcience  j  that  he  may  feed  upon  Ho- 
#eyy  and  yet  be  in  the  Gall  of  Bitternefs  dill ! 
And  that  he  may  have  the  Devil  fir%d  away  from 
bis  Soul,  and  yet  be  afterwards  more  a  Child  of 
Hell  than  before  1 

I  might  further  urge,  that  if  the  Religion  of 
Tradition  had  been  of  any  real  Importance  it 
would  have  been  committed  to  Writing,  ei- 
ther by  the  Apoflles,  or  fome  of  their  Imme- 
diate Siicceflbrs,  in  order  to  preferve  it  entire 
and  free  from  all  fophifticated  Mixture.  Are 
not  the  Decrees  of  our  Courts  of  Juftice,  the 
Experiments  made  in  Natural  Philofophy,  and 
the  Hiftory  of  Difeafes  of  the  human  Body  all 
committed  to  Writing,  in  order  to  perpetuate 
the  Knowledge  of  them  among  Mankind? 
Strange,  that  none  of  the  Apoftolical  Colledgc 
had  the  Benevolence  or  Publick  Spiritcdneis,  to 
do  as  much  in  Regard  to  this  Religion  of  Tra- 
dition, had  a  Standing  Revelation  been  imper- 
fect or  infbfficient  without  it  !  So  much  for 
the  Authority  of  the  Gofpel  of  Tradition .  Now 
for  lome  of  its  Doftrines :  I  (hall  fpecify  but  a 
few.  It  would  be  an  Affront  upon  the  Under* 
landings  of  my  Readers  to  fpecify  many. 

Let  us  begin  with  the  Church.  The  Church,  fay; 
our  Catechiji,  "  is  the  Aflembly  of  the  Faithful, 
<c  that  is,  of  thofe  who  profefs  to  ferve  the  true 
"  God  according  to  the  true  Religion  which  he 
"  himfelf  hath  taught,  and  which  they  have  learn- 

"ed 


(38) 

fc  ed  from  their  Forefathers,  and  preferv'd /#//£- 
"fully  without  Alteration."  (a)The  Religion  of 
this  One,  holy.  Catholic  and  Apojlolic  Church, 
you  may  find  in  the  Breviaries,  Rituals,  and 
Miffals  of  Rome,  but  no  where  fo  compleat- 
Jy  as  in  our  Doctor's  new  Syftem,  built  up- 
on the  Rock  of  Tradition.  Thofe  who  fcpa- 
rate  from  this  Church,  as  the  far  greater!: 
Part  of  Mankind  do, the  Lord  have  Mer- 
cy upon  them,  for  the  Prieft  has  none.— 
They  are  Heretics  and  Schematics  in  his  Ef- 
teem.  (b)  Out  of  this  pure  Church  that  damns 
the  great  eft  Part  of  the  World  for  Confci- 
ence  Sake,  Salvation  is  not  ordinarily  to  be 
obtain' d.  But  why  faid  I,  the  Lord  have 
Mercy  upon  them  ?  It  feems  God  cannot  fave 
them  if  he  would,  and  the  Priefl  will  not 
fave  them  if  he  can :  Who  then  would 
not  be  a  Member  of  this  damning,  heriticat- 
ing  Church  ?  Who  would  not  fall  into  the 
Hands  of  the  Doftor,  rather  than  into  the 
Hands  of  the  Devil?  But  would  you  alk, 
who  are  the  Members  of  this  Church,  or 
this  Ajfemblj  of  the  Faithful,  who  profefs  to 
ferve  the  true  God?  Our  learned  CatechiH  an- 
fwers,  its  Members  are  <c  God  the  Father,  Son, 
<c  and  Holy  Ghoftr  Thefe  are  three  of  the  Per- 
fons,  thatprofejs  to  ferve  the  true  God.  Item,  "  All 
"  the  blejfed  Angels  and  all  the  holy  Men  and  Be- 
"  lievers  that  have  been  in  the  World  ;"  thefe  too 

"  are  Members  of  the  Church  : All  the  holy 

*'  Men 
(a)  Cat.  p.  47.  and  i6u        (b)  Cat,  p.  47, 


(  39  ) 

"  Men  and  Believers  that  ever  Jhatt  be  in  the 
"  World."  Thefe  too  are  Members  of  the  One^ 
holy,  Catholic,  Apoftolic  Church,  (a)  But  as  to  You 
.Members  of  the  Church  of  England-,  as  to  You 
Proteftants  of  all  Denominations ;  You  have 
heard  your  Doom  !  Hear  again,  and  tremble ! 
You  are  in  our  Catecbift's  Account  Heretics 
and  Schifmatics  from  his  Church,  and  ordina» 
rily  that  is,  unlefs  you  purchafe  it  extrava- 
gantly dear,  there  is  no  Salvation  for  you  ! 
Unlefs  you  give  your  Confcience  and  your 
Understanding  to  the  Prieft,  your  Eftates  to 
the  Church,  and  your  Children  to  the  Pa- 
rifi,  this  Gentleman  will  not  upon  any  cheap- 
er Terms  hire  out  his  Salvation  to  you : 
Whatever  Friendfhip  Jacobites  may  exprefs 
for  Nonjurors,  fincerely  I  doubt  not  at  all, 
yet  let  thofe  Jacobites  who  call  themfelves 
Members  of  the  Church  of  England,  know 
that  the  Nonjurors  look  upon  them  to  be  all 
Heirs  of  Deftruclion.  Epifcopal  Baptifm  as  prac- 
tis'd  by  the  Church  of  England,  our  Author  calls 
an  heretical  Adminiftration.  (b)  The  Ordinati- 
on of  the  Church  of  England,  he  likewife  treats 
as  an  heretical  Schi/matical  Adminiftration.  (c^ 
Countrymen  and  Fellow- Proteftants,  you  know 
•what  Judgment  the  Church  of  Rome,  moft  of 
whofe  Superftitions  and  Extravagancies  our  Au- 
thor adopts  and  improves  upon ;  you  know 

what  Judgment  fhe  pafles  upon   Heretics, 

There 

|a)  Cut,  p,  191,      (b)  Cat.  p.  226,      (c)  Cat.  p,  431^ 

v 

\ 


(40) 

There  is  no  Faith  to  be  kept  with 

There  is   no  more   Sin  in  killing  of  Heretic** 

than  there  is  in  killing  of  Dogs. Thefe  are 

her  Sacred  Maxims,     Hemp  and   Heretics  are 

the  Averfion  of  all  good  Catholics^ unlefs  it 

be   Rebellion    Hemp,    that  has     a   Crown   of 
Martyrdom  to   conjecrate  and  blefs  it. 

In  the  famous  Council  of  Lateran,  con-' 
yen'd  by  Pope  Innocent  the  Third,  Ann. 
1215,  it  was  ordained  ;  that  all  Secular  Pow- 
ers fliould  oblige  themfelves  to  exterminate 
all  Herefe  out  of  their  Dominions,  and  in 
Default  thereof,  fuch  Secular  Powers  to  be 
excommunicated,  and  their  Subjects  to  be 
abfolved  from  their  Allegiance,  (a)  Here  we 
have  a  glaring  Inftance  of  the  Spirit  of  your 
Friend's  Mother  Church,  and  the  Spirit  of 
the  Daughter  if  it  be  improved,  doth  not  in 
the  leaft  appear  to  be  improved  for  the  bet- 
ter. ---  The  Decrees  of  this  Council,  were 
not  the  Acts  of  a  few,  defpicable,  unauthorized 
Ecclefiaftics,  but  the  Determinations  of  one 
of  the  greateft  Ecclejlaftical  Conventions  in  the 
World.  It  con  fitted  of  the  AmbafTadors  of 
mofl  Sovereign  Princes,  the  Patriarchs  o  f  Je- 

ritjalem 

(a)  Potefktes  Seculares  perpetuas  vel  temporales  jurare  tenentur 
unirerfos  Haeredcos  ab  Ecclcfia  damnatos,  pro  viribus  extermi- 
nare,  et  temporalis  Dominus  non  purgans  terrara  fuam  Hasreticis, 
excommunicatur,  et  fi  perfiflcrit  in  excommunicatione  per  Annum, 
nuntiatur  Papse,  qui  fideles  ejus  a  Juramento  abfolvet  et  ejus  Ter- 
ram  Fidelibus  cxpone:, 

Dtcrft,  Gre^  lib,  5,  (it.  7.  C-  13,' 


(4O 

rttfalem  and  Conftantinople  in  Perfon,  the  Pa- 
triarchs of  Alexandria  and  Antioch  in  their  Re- 
prefentatives,  71  ArchbiJhopSy  340  Biflwps, 
and  800  Abbots  or  Priors.  A  goodly  Herd 
of  ghoftly  Cattle  !  but  better/^  than  taught  ! 
or  it  had  never  been  decreed  in  fuch  an  il- 
luftrious  Affembly,  that  all  Secular  Princes 
fhould  upon  Oath  be  obliged  to  exterminate 
Herefy  and  Heretics  out  of  their  Territories, 
.under  Pain  of  being  treated,  in  Cafe  of  Dif- 

obedience  as  the  ivorft  Heretics  themfelves , 

This  is  the  Spirit,  theie  are  the  Features  of 
that  holv,  Catholic^  and  Apoftolic  Church  that  our 
learned  Cat  ec  hi  ft  would  eftablith.  What  a  fo- 
lemn  Abfurdity  is  it  for  any  Members  of  the 

Church  of  England, A  Church  that  is  the 

Bulwark  of  the  Reformation,  to  mourn  for  the 
Eftablimment  of  a  tyrant  on  the  Britift 
Throne,  which  would  bring  the  Eftablimment 
of  this  barbarous,  bhod-thir(lyy  and  butchering. 
Religion  with  him  !  For  Proteftants  too,  to 
plead  Conjcience  for  introducing  a  Scheme  of 
Slavery  and  Superftition,  that  would  do  all  that 
it  can  to  exterminate  the  very  Name  of  Protef- 

tantijm  from  the  Face  of  the  Earth !  ,  Are 

thefe  Men's  Conferences,  or  their  Heads  the 
more  fojt  and  tender? 

Proceed    we   to   fome    other    Parts  of  fliis 

new    Syftem    of   devout    Rant,     and '  (firitual 

Qttackery,  extracted  out  of  the    new   Gojpel  of 

Tradition.     Here  the  good  Proteflant  may  have 

F  Sacraments 


(42) 

Sacraments  by  Wholefale,  Sacraments  dealt  out 
by  the  Dozen.  Amongft  thefe,  Exorcifm 
muft  not  be  pafs'd  over  in  Silence.  Exor- 
ci/m>  what  is  that  ?  'Tis  blowing  in  the  Face  of 
the  Infant  or  adult  Per/on  baptiz'd  j  figning 
bim  'with  the  Sign  of  the  Crofs,  and  ufing  Au~ 
thoritative  Words  to  drive  away  the  Devil,  (a) 
Unhappy  Infants  that  come  out  of  their  Ma- 
ker's o*wn  Hands,  poflefs'd  with  the  Devil !  More 
unhappy  Proteflants,  that  for  Want  of  Exor~ 
elfm  muft  be  Devil- rid  all  the  Days  of  their 
Lives  \  by  a  poor  contemptible  Devi/,  that  is 
to  be  blown  and  banimed  out  of  his  Domi- 
nions, by  the  Breath  of  a  Nonjuring  Priejl  \ 
But  what  if  he  fhould  prove  to  be  a  fturdy 
refolute  Devi/,  that  is  not  to  be  Fly-blown  out 

of  his  Empire  ? What  muft  the  Priefl  do 

then  ?  Be  it  fo. Exorcifm,  not  only  drives \ 

but  fires  away  the  Evil  Spirit  \  (b)  Right !  It 
feems,  a  burnt  Devil  like  a  burnt  Child  dreads 
the  Fire !  A  Man  would  no  more  commit  a 
Kape  upon  his  Countenance,  than  he  would 
commit  a  Rape  upon  the  Fair.  You  muft  al- 
low me  then  Sir,  to  be  a  little  ludicrous  upon 
proper  Occafions.  A  little  while  ago,  a  Par- 
ty of  your  Highland  Friends  were  oblig'd  ta 
take  up  with  Accommodations  at  an  Inn,  in 
an  Apartment  which  they  were  told  was  haunt- 
ed i  on  this  Occafion,  they  ordered  Plenty  of 

\  Liquor 


Catecft.  p.  70;      (!>)  Cat.  f>, 


(43) 

Liquor,  Tobacco,  and  every  Thing  elfe  Into 
the  Room  that  was  neceflary  to  fhield  them 
from  the  Devil.  Here  they  regaled  themfclves 
very  freely.  AJorry  Fellow  belonging  to  the 
Houfe,  who  was  the  Devil  that  haunted  it, 
came  in  the  Dead  of  the  Night  (talking  in, 
Chains,  and  perfonating  an  Apparition.  The 
Highland  Po/fe  were  all  got  afleep  over  their 
Cups,  one  only  excepted.  His  Spirits  being 
elated  with  Mirth  and  Wine,  he  receives  his 
new  Gueft  very  civilly  thus,  •«'  Your  humble 
*'  Servant  Mr.  De'el ;  pray  fit  down  good  Mr, 
<e  De'el  j  fmoak  a  Pipe  with  us ;  here's  a  Pipe  as 

*'  black  as  your  Honour •,  Mr.  De'el, you  are 

*e  extremely  welcome,  — —  I  never  had  the  Dif- 
<c  tinction  (hewn  me  of  your  Company  before." 
The  Fellow  more  amaz'd  at  the  Highlander^ 
than  the  Highlander  was  at  the  Devi/,  retires 
in  great  Confufion.  Hereupon  the  Highland 
Hero  awakes  his  Neighbour  5  Sawney  the 

De'el  has  been  here, and  what  then,  cries 

Sawney,  yawning ; .  why  fays  the  Hero,   I 

confoowted  him  fairly  with  a  Text  of  Scrip' 
ture  ;  I  aik'd  him  to  fmoak  a  Pipe,  and  the 
De'el  could  neither  ftand  Fire,  nor  Smoak. 
Now  Sir,  pray  tell  me  what  Gofpel  did  the 
Highlander  find  this  Text  of  Scripture  in,  un- 
lefs  he  met  with  it,  when  upon  his  Expedition 
thro'  Manchetter,  in  Dr.  Paracelfus's  new  Gof>* 
pely  that  fires  away  the  Devil  from  the  Soul  ? 
Jt  mufl  be  fo,  beyond  all  Queftion,  Sf.  Dun- 


Jlan,  of  old,  play'd  fome  very  bold  Pranks  with. 
the  Devil  of  the  fame  Nature  with  this.  The 
Devil  having  long  tempted,  but  ftill  tempted 
him  in  vaiu  I  at  laft  thought  of  an  Expedi- 
ent which  he  promis'd  could  not  fail.  "  He 
affumes  the  Appearance  of  a  fine  Lady,  and  in 
that  Shape  renews  the  Temptation  :  And  you 
know  Sir  he  muft  be  a  Saint  indeed  !  more 
than  a  Saint  I  He  muft  be  an  Angel,  diverted 
of  Fle/h  and  Blooa,  that  can  refift  the  Attrac- 
tions of  thofe  fweet  Charmers  !  However  £>«;/- 
flan  was  even  invulnerable  and  unconquerable 
by  thefe.  Unnatural  as  he  was,  he  took  the 
Jair  Devil  by  the  Nofe  with  a  Pair  of  red 
hot  Pincers,  and  led  her,  or  him,  whatever 
Gender  you  give  it,  round,  round  and  round 
again  about  the  Room,  till  the  Devil  was  rea- 
dy to  fwoon  away,  and  roar'd  out  in  great  A- 
gony  and  Anguifh.  (a)  Poor  Devil,  well  he 
'might,  to  be  led  thus  by  the  Nofe! 

Our  Authors  firing  away  the  Devil  from  the 
Soul,  being  a  Preface  to  Baptifm,  and  one  of 
his  folemn  Seafons  for  the  Adminiftration  of 
Baptifm  being  on  Eafter  Eve,  would  induce 
one  to  believe,  that  in  this,  as  well  as  in  many 
Inftances  more  —  he  has  a  fecret  Allufion  to 
n  Juperftitious  Imposture  tranfacled  on  the  fame 
Dey,  and  for  the  fame  furpoje,  viz.  driving  a* 


(a) 


'(  4S  ) 

the  Devil,  by  the  Greek  and  Armenian 
Priefts.  The  Farce  (or  the  Miracle  as  they  ex- 
prefs  ft)  is  call'd,  that  of  the  holy  Fire.  It 
is  pretended,  that  on  Easter  Eve,  a  miraculous 
Flame  defcends  from  Heaven  into  the  holy  Se- 
pulchre, and  kindles  all  the  Lamps  and  Can- 
dles there,  which  in  the  Prefence  of  the  'Turks 
and  other  Witnefles,  had,  for  the  Difplay  of 
the  Miracle,  been  previoufly  extinguished.  This 
devout  Forgery  is  carry'd  on  by  the  Greek  Pa- 
triarch of  Jerujalem,  the  Armenian  Patriarch 
of  the  fame,  and  the  Coptijb  Bifhop.  Tbeve- 
not  fays,  the  Turks  faw  through  the  Cheat  and 
would  have  prevented  it  for  the  future,  but 
the  Patriarchs  reprefented  they  could  not  pay 
them  as  much  Money  as  they  did,  if  the  Pro- 
fit of  the  holy  Fire  was  taken  away ;  and  there- 
upon the  Turks  agreed  to  let  them  continue 
the  Juggle.  The  Purport  of  my  Author's  (a) 

Account   of  it,    is  as   follows.  Coming  to 

the  Church  of  the  holy  Selpulchre,  we  found  it 
crouded  with  a  diftracied  Mob,  making  hide- 
ous Clamours,  violently  running  to  and  fro, 
crying  out  Huia,  •—  a  Word  emphatically 
expreffive  that  theirs  is  the  true  Religion. 
Their  Heads  being  grown  vertiginous,  and  their 
Zeal  en  flamed  into  Phrenzy,  they  acted  a 
thoufand  antic  Extravagancies,  in  ten  thoufand 
more,  as  antic  and  extravagant  Poltures.  Some- 
times 

^)  Maundreirs  Journey  from  Altfto  to  Jtrufaltm  p.  96.  97^ 


(46) 

times  they  dragg'd  each  other  round  the  Floor, 
and  fometimes  march'd  around  in  Mock- State 
upon  each  others  Shoulders.  Sometim^  they 
play'd  the  Part  of  Tumblers  on  a  Stage,  and 
fometimes  plac'd  Men  with  their  Heads  and 
Heels  inverted,  in  fuch  Attitudes  as  moft  inde- 
cently expos'd  what  Nature  vails.  When  the 
Proceflion  begun,  they  marched  thrice  round 
the  holy  Sepulchre,  with  Standards,  Streamers, 
Crucifixes,  embroider'd  Habits,  and  all  the 
Furbery  Superftition  could  invent  or  furnim. 
The  Greeks  went  firft,  and  the  Armenians  fol- 
lowed after.  Prefently  a  Dove  (not  an  Em- 
blem of  Innocence  neither,  but  one  properly 
train'd  for  the  Service)  flutter'd  into  the  Cupo- 
la over  the  Sepulchre,  which  was  received  with 
Shouts  of  Joy  by  the  frantic  Throng,  believ- 
ing it  to  be  a  vifible  Dejcent  of  the  Holy  Gboft. 
The  Proceflion  being  ended,  the  Ecclefiaftics 
mentioned  above,  advanc'd  with  folemn  Mien 
and  moft  reverend  Pace  towards  the  Sepulchre, 
the  Doors  whereof  had  been  fealed  up  when 
the  Lights  were  extinguifhed ,  under  Pretence 
of  guarding  againft  all  Impofture.  Thefe  Doors 
being  now  unfealed,  no  fooner  had  the  Priefts 
enter'd  in,  but  they  (hut  them  again  and  al- 
lowed Admiflion  to  none  but themfelves. 

The  Acclamations  of  the  People  grew  louder 
and  louder,  as  the  Miracle  was  expected  to  be 
drawing  near  its  Crifis.  Every  one  rufh'd  ea- 
gerly towards  the  Sepulchre  to  meet  the  Priefts 


(47) 

as  they  came  out  of  it,    with  the  holy  Fire  in 
their  Hands  ;  ambitious  who  mould  be  the  firft 
in  lighting  their  Tapers  at  the  celeflial  flame. 
The  Miracle-mongers,  faith  my  Author,  "  had 
"  not   been  above  a   Minute  in  the  holy  Se- 
"  pulchre   when   the  Glimmering  of  the  holy 
"  Fire  was  feen,    or  imagined  to  be  feen  thro" 
"  fome    Chinks  of  the   Door,    and  certainly 
*'  Bedlam    itfelf,    never  faw   fuch   an  unruly 
<f  Tranfport   as   was    produced   in    the    Mob 
"  at  this  Sight.   — —   Then    came    out    the 
"  Priefts  with  blazing  Torches  in  their  Hands, 
<f  which    they   held    up  at   the  Door  of  the 
"  Sepulchre,  while  the  People  throng'd  about 
"  with  inexpreflible  Ardour,    every  one  ftriv- 
*c  ing  to  obtain  a  Part  of  the    firft  and  pu- 
"  reft  Flame,"  believing  that  to  have  moft, 
wonder-working  Virtues    to   attend   it.     The 
lurks    in    the   mean  Time  that  were  fet  as 
Guards  at  the  Door,    <c  with  huge  Clubs  laid 
"  them  on  without  Mercy  j   but  all  this  could 
"  not  repel  them,    the  Excefs  of  their  Tran£- 
"  port  making  them  infenfible  of  Pain.     Thofe 
"  that  got  the  Fire,  immediately  apply'd  it  to 
"  their  Beards,  Faces  and  Bofoms,    pretending 
ct  that    it   would    not    burn    like    an   earthly 
<f  Flame;  but  I  plainly  faw,  none  of  them  could 
tc  endure  this  Experiment  long  enough  to  make 
*c  good  that  Pretenfion.      Innumerable  Tapers 
"  were  foon  lighted  ;    the  whole  Church  and 
"  Galleries  and  every  Place  feemed  inftantly 


c< 


cc 


(48  ) 

f<  to  be  in  a  Flame,  and  with  this  Illuminate 
"  on  the  Ceremony  ended.-—  They  within 
te  the  Sepulchre,  performed  their  Part  with 

"  great  Quicknefs  and   Dexterity. *Tis  the 

* c  deplorable  Unhappinefs  of  their  Prieftst  that 
having  acted  the  Cheat  fo  long  already, 
they  are  forc'd  now  to  ftand  to  it,  for 
"  fear  of  endangering  the  Apoftacy  of  the 

"  People. After  the  Rout  was  over,    we 

"  faw  feveral  People  gather'd  about  the  Stone 
"  of  Unction,  who  having  got  a  good  Store 
"  of  Candles  lighted  by  the  Holy  Fire,  were 
<e  employed  in  daubing  Pieces  of  Linnen  with 
cc  the  Wicks  of  them  and  the  melting  Wax  j 
<e  which  Pieces  of  Linnen  were  defigned  for 
<£  Winding  Sheets ;  it  being  the  Opinion  of 
"  thefe  poor  People,  that  if  they  can  but  have 
<c  the  Happinefs  of  being  buried  in  a  Shroudy 
"  fmutted  with  this  Celeflial  Fire,  it  will  cer~ 
"  tainly  fecure  them  from  the  Flames  of  Hell.'"' 
Now  as  our  learned  Author's  Exorcijm,  is  to 
be  practis'd  on  the  fame  Day  with  this  fcan- 
dalous  Impofture,  practis'd  by  the  Greek  and 
Armenian  Priefts,  and  as  the  Fire  of  the  holy 
Sepulchre  is  deemed  by  their  fuperftitious  De- 
votees to  be  a  Prefervative  from  the  Flame  of 

Hell ; further,     as   our    learned    Catechijl 

doth  adopt  many  other  of  their  ridiculous  Rites, 
'tis  probable,  to  fay  no  more,  that  if  his 
Church  was  once  eftablifhed  here,  we  mould 
have  this  Miracle  of  the  Holy  Fire  tranfplanted 

into 


(49) 

into  Britain  — —  as  an  infallible  Method 
whereby  to  pre/erve  from  the  Flames  of  Hell, 
or,  in  our  Autbtr**  Phrafe,  to  drive  away  the 
Evil  Spirit.  If  the  Devil  be  driven  away  foon 
enough  to  refcue  the  Sinner  from  eternal  Per* 
dition,  'tis  not  quite  fo  material  whether  it  be 
done  at  Baptijm  or  at  Burial.  All  that  can 
be  laid,  is,  that  the  longer  your  holy,  Catholic 
and  Apo/lolic  Priefl  has  him  in  Play,  the  bet- 
ter Chance  he  has  of  making  a  good  Penny 
of  Satan.  But  perhaps  He  may  underftand 
how  to  make  a  good  Penny  of  Satan  without 
requiring  his  perfonal  Attendance.  —  If  fo, 
I  can  but  think,  upon  the  whole,  that  our 
Author  has  the  Advantage  of  the  Greek  and 
Armenian  Priefts,  and  that  the  fooner  the  De- 
vil is  Jird  away  the  better ! 

Another  remarkable  Kind  of  Exorcifm,  (for  I 
am  upon  a  copious  Subject)  is  one  made  Uie 
of  by  the  yefuits  to  fanclify  Regicides,  and 
confecrate  the  Affirmation  of  Princes.  This  I 
am  the  more  inclined  to  give  you,  as  'tis  not 
improbable,  but  fomethrng  of  the  Kind  was 
praftis'd  upon  the  Rebel  Herd  at  Manchejler^ 
before  they  inlifted  under  the  Banner  of  Re- 
bellion, with  a  Defign  to  murder  our  Royal 
Sovereign,  his  Family,  our  Conftitution,  our 
Religion,  our  Liberties,  all  together.  'Tis  ex- 
tracted out  of  a  Procefs  printed  at  Delfdfy' 
by  John  Andrew,  arid  runs  thus  in  the  Au- 
thor from  whom  I  tranfcribe  it,  "  The  Per- 

G 


t£  ion  perfuaded  by  the  Jefuits  to  affaffinate  ci- 
"  ther  a  King  or  a  Prince,  is  brought  by  them 
"  into  a  fecret  Chappel,  where  they  have  pre- 
"  pared  upon  an  Altar  a  great  Dagger  wrapt 
*£  up  in  LinTien  Cloth,  together  with  an  Ag- 
<c  nus  Dei  :  Drawing  it  out  of  the  Sheath  they 
"  befprinkle  it  with  Holy  Water,  and  faften 
"  to  the  Hilt  feveral  confecrated  Beads  of  Co- 
*€  ral,  pronouncing  this  Indulgence  j  that  as 
"  many  Blows  as  the  Murderer  mall  give  with 
"  it  to  the  Prince,  he  fhall  deliver  fo  many 
<c  Souls  from  Purgatory.  After  this  Ceremo- 
4{  r.y,  they  put  the  Dagger  into  the  Paricide's 
<c  Hand,  and  recommend  it  to  him  thus : 
"  Thou  chcfen  Son  of  God,  take  the  Sword 

* 

"  of  Jepthe,  the  Sword  of  Sampjon,  the  Sword 
ct  of  David  wherewith  he  cut  off  the  Head  of 
"  Gcliabt  the  Sword  of  Gideon ,  the  Sword  of 
"  Judith,    the  Sword  of  the   Maccabees^  the 
"  Sword  of  Pope  Julius  the  Second,    where- 
"  with  he  cut  off  the  Lives  of  feveral  Princes  his 
ec  Enemies ;    filling  whole  Cities  with  Slaugh- 
"  ter  and   Blood  :    Go,  -and  let  Prudence  go  a- 
*'  long  with  thy   Courage.     Let  God  give  new 
*'  Strength  to  thy  Arm.     After   which,    they 
"  fail  down   on  their  Knees,    and  the  Superior 
•*  of  the  Jefuits  pronounces  the  following  Ex- 
<c  crciim  :  Come  ye  Cherubims,  ye  Seraphims, 
<c  Thrones  and  Powers ;  come  ye  Holy  Angels 
*'  and    fill    up    this    bleffed  VelTel  ( i.  e.  the 
execrable  Parricide  )  with  an  immortal  Glo- 


cc 


cc 


f5') 

"  ry.  Do  ye  prefent  him  every  Day  with  the 
<e  Crown  of  the  blefled  Virgin  Mary,  of  the 
"  holy  Patriarchs  and  Martyrs.  We  do  not 
<(  look  upon  him  now  as  one  of  ours,  but  as 
"  one  belonging  to  you.  And  thou  O  God 
<e  who  art  terrible  and  invincible,  and  haft 
?c  infpir'd  him  in  Prayer  and  Meditation,  to 
<e  kill  the  Tyrant  and  Heretic,  for  to  give 
c<  his  Crown  to  a  Catholic  King ;  comfort  we 
C{  befeech  thee,  the  Heart  of  him  whom  we 
<e  have  oonfecrated  for  this  Office.  Strengthen 
"  his  Arm  that  he  may  execute  his  Enter- 
C{  terprize.  Cloath  him  with  the  Armour  of 
^'  thy  Divine  Power,  that  having  perform'd  his 
"  Defign,  he  may  efcape  the  Hands  of  thole 
*<  who  iTball  go  in  Purfuit  of  him,,  Give 
"  him  Wings  that  his  holy  Members  may  fly 
{<  away  from  the  Power  of  impious  Heretics* 
"  Repleniili  his  Soul  with  Joy,  Comfort  and 
<c  Light,  by  which  his  Body  having  banifhed 
"  all  Fear,  may  be  upheld  and  animated  in 
<*  the  Midft  of  Dangers  and  Torments,  This 
"  Exarcifm  being  ended,  they  bring  the  Par- 
"  ricide  bsfore  another  Altar,  whereto  hangs  an. 
<£  Image  of  yames  Clement,  a  Dominican  Fryar, 
(t  who  with  a  venemous  Knife  kili'd  King 
"  Henry  the  third.  This  Image  is  furrounded 
<e  with  Angels  who  protect  and  bring  him  to 
"  Heaven.  The  Jefaits  (hew  it  him,  and 
"  put  afterwards  a  Crown  upon  his  Head 
11  iaying,  Lord  regard  here  the  Arm  and  the 

G  2  "  Executor 


"  Executor  of  thy  Juftice :  Let  all  the  Saints 
*'  arife,  bow  and  yield  to  him  the  moft  ho- 
"  nourable  Place  amongft  them.  Afterwards 
"  he  is  permitted  to  fpeak  to  none  but  to  four 
"  'Jefuits  deputed  to  keep  him  Company. 
"  They  are  not  wanting  to  tell  him  oft  that 
."  they  perceive  a  Divine  Light  that  furrounds 
*.c  him,  and  is  the  Caufe  why  they  bow 
"  to  him,  kifs  his  Hands  and  Feet,  and  con- 
c<  fider  him  no  more  as  a  Man  but  as  a  Saint  ; 
<c  nay  they  make  a  Shew  as  if  they  envy'd 
c<  the  great  Honour  and  Glory  attending  him, 
"  and  fay  fighing,  Oh !  that  God  had  been 
?'  pleafed  to  make  Choice  of  us  inftead  of 
"  you,  and  given  us  fo  much  Grace,  that  as 
c<  you  we  might  be  tranflated  into  Heaven 
cc  without  going  into  Purgatory"  (a)  Here  ends 
the  folemn  Farce. 

I  muft  not  omit,  for  the  Sake  of  my  Protef- 
tant  Reader,  the  Hiftory  of  one  Exorcifm  more. 
Prince  Chriftopher  of  the  Family  of  the  Dukes 
of  Ratzeil  being  a  great  Devotee  to  the  See 
of  Rome,  and  extravagantly  fond  of  Romifb 
Trincktts  and  Superftitions,  waited  on  the 
Pope  to  kifs  his  Holinejs's  Feet.  On  this  Oc- 
cafion,  his  Holinefs  prefcnted  him  with  a  Box 
of  Reliques  as  an  Acknowledgment  of  his  Do- 
cility and  Obedience  to  the  holy  See.  Upon 
the  Prince's  Return  flome,  the  Reliques  grew 

into 

(a)  Emilliaiu's  HUU  Monaft.  p.  206.  i* 


(   S3) 

into  great  Reputation,  and  he  became  famous 
over  all  the  Country.  Hereupon  fome  Monks 
came  to  him,  pretending  they  had  a  Man  un- 
der their  Care  poffefs'd  with  a  Devil,  which 
with  all  their  holy  Feats  and  Zeal  they  had  not 
been  able  to  ferret  out  of  him.  They  there- 
fore follicited  the  Prince  for  his  Reliques,  to 
try  whether  they  were  powerful  enough  to  e- 
ject  this  obftinate  Devi/,  to  which  he  readily 
confented.  The  Reliques  being  apply'd  with 
the  ufual  Solemnity  and  Devotion,  the  Devil 
foon  made  it  appear,  that  their  Virtue  was 
too  powerful  for  him  to  withftand  it.  With 
all  the  Diftortion  of  Features,  Grimace,  and 
Gnafhing  of  Teeth  ufual  on  the  like  Occafions, 
he  quitted  Poffeffion.  The  People  prefent, 
cried  a  Miracle,  a  Miracle,  and  the  Prince  ex- 
alts God,  and  was  himfelf  exalted  beyond  Mea- 
fure,  for  the  facred  wonder-working  Treafure 
wherewith  he  was  entrufted. 

Some  Time  after,  the  Prince  with  great 
Zeal  and  Eloquence,  was  difplaying  the  bleiTed 
Efficacy  of  his  Reliques,  one  of  his  Gentle- 
men prefent,  betray'd  his  Difoelief  of  what  he 
(aid,  both  by  the  Manner  of  his  Action  and 
his  Smile.  Being  queftioned  about  it  (after  a 
iolemn  Promife  of  Forgivenefs)  he  ingenuoufly 
confefs'd,  that  in  their  Return  from  Rome,  he 
had  unfortunately  loft  the  Box  of  Reliques  pre- 
lented  to  his  Higbnefs  by  the  holy  Father ; 
and  to  prevent  the  Storm  of  Difpleafure  he 

dreaded 


dreaded  in  Confequence  of  it,  he  had  ordered 
another  Box  to  be  made  as  like  it  as  he  could. 
This,  faith  he,  I  fill'd  with  rotten  Bones  and 
other  fuch  venerable  Trinckets ;  and  this,  adds 
he,  is  the  Box  of  Reliques  that  your  Monks  and 
Priefts  work  Miracles  with. 

The  Prince  no  Doubt  equally  amaz'd  and 
confounded  at  the  Difcovery,  next  Morning 
fent  to  the  Fathers,  enquiring  if  they  had  any 
other  poffefs'd  Perfon  that  he  might  contri- 
bute to  the  Restoration  of,  by  the  Mediation 
of  his  Reliques.  Imagining  they  were  playing 
upon  his  Superftition  (till,  they  were  not  at  a 
Lofs  where  to  find  a  proper  Perfon,  to  repeat 
the  fame  Kind  of  Farce  as  had  been  acted  be- 
fore. The  Prince  required  that  the  poffefs'd 
Perfon  might  be  exorcis'd  in  his  Prefence. 
But  the  Devil  he  was  poffefs'd  with,  had  In- 
ftruclions  what  Game  to  play,  and  prov'd  to  be 
a  fturdy  Devil,  that  would  not  relinquifh  his 
Tenure.  The  Monks  being  ordered  to  retire, 
the  Prince  delivered  over  the  poffefs'd  Perfon  to 
the  Hands  of  a  more  honeft,  tho'  lefsfpiritu a! 

Kind  of  Exorcifts fome    Tartars  that   be- 

long'd  to  his  Highnefs's  Stable.  Thefe  were 
authoriz'd  to  fcourge  and  difcipline  him,  till  he 
fhould  confefs  the  Impofture.  The  Demoniac 
by  his  horrible  Grimaces  and  Geftures  would 
gladly  have  conceal'd  the  Fraud,  and  fancli- 
fy'd  the  Collufion.  But  the  Tartars  renewing 
their  Difcipline,  ihepoor  Devil  could  not  ftand 

Proof 


(55) 

Proof  againft  the  Violence  of  their  Rage  and 
Fury.  Without  the  Help  either  of  Reliques,  or 
of  holy  Water^  the  Man  was  difpoffeffed.  He 
confefs'd  the  Cheat,  and  afk'd  the  Prince's  Par- 
don for  the  .  Part  he  had  afted  in  it. 

The  holy  Monks  and  Priefts  were  next  fent 
for,  who  were  as  yet  wholly  ignorant  of  what 
had  happen'd.     When  they  came,    the  reftored 
Demoniac  proftrated  himfelf  in  Sight  of  them  at 
the  Prince's  Feet,    acknowledg'd  that  a  wicked 
Confederacy  with  the  Monks  was  the  only  De- 
vil that  poffefs'd  him,    and  that  he  never  had 
been  poffefs'd   with  any  other.     At  firft   thefe 
good  Men,    who  have  always  been  more  bufy, 
as  well  as  more  fuccefsful  in  cafting  in  any  De- 
vil of  Superftition,    than  in  cafting  out  any   o-> 
ther,    would   have   perfuaded  the  Prince,    that 
this  was  only  the  Language  of  the  Devil,  who 
made  Ufe  of  the  Man's  Organs  of  Speech  with 
a  View  to  deceive  them.     But  the  Prince  faith 
my  Author  >  calling  for  his  'Tartars  to   exorcife 
another  Devi/,  the  Father  of  Lies,  out  of  them 
too,  they  foon  relented  and  confefs'd  the  Cheat, 
but  urg'd  that  it  was  a  pious  Fraud,  and  done 
with  a  good  Intention,  to  check  the  Progrefs  of 
Herefy  in    that    Country.      This  was  in    the 
Year  1654.     Hereupon   the   Prince  became  a 
Profelyte  and  a  Patron  to  the  reform'd  Religi- 
on, (a)  I 


(a)    Arcbifliop  Waki*  Defence  againft  the  JSxceftjeng  qf  .the 
fiiihop  of  Meant)  zd.  Part,  p.  igb,  7. 


(56) 

I  (hall  no  doubt  be  gravfly  told  upon  this 
Head,  that  Exorcifm  was  eftablimcd  by  the 
Council  of  Carthage,  (a)  But  I  alk  upon  what 
Foundation  ?  Evidently  upon  no  other  than 
this  ;  —  that  the  miraculous  Power  given  by 
our  Saviour  to  his  Difciples,  to  difpoflefs  Evil 
Spirits,  or  to  caft  out  Difeafes,  for  it  probably 
meant  no  more,  was  to  be  a  ftanding  Gift  in 
the  Church.  Casting  out  of  Devils  they  turn- 
ed into  Allegory  and  Figure,  to  fet  forth  the 
moral  Effeds  of  the  Chriftian  Difpenfation,  in 
cafting  out  Men's  Lufts  and  Corruptions.  This 
was  the  Origin  of  the  Practice,  and  as  the  Prac- 
tice grew  thofe  fuperftitious  Rights,  fo  gravely 
ridiculous,  grew  with  it.  Pity  but  we  could 
exorcife  away  the  Devil  of  Superftition,  which 
is  the  moft  difficult  to  be  difpoflefTed  out  of 
fome  Men's  Souls,  of  all  others.  The  Name 
of  this  Species  of  Devils  is  Legion,  for  read 
your  learned  Friend's  Gatechifm,  and  you'll  find 
them  to  be  very  many. 

'Tis  recorded  among  the  Papiftst  that  St. 
Graf,  a  Saint  of  great  Eminence  and  Diftinc- 
tion,  exorcis'd  away  all  the  Rats  found  in  the 
County  of  Aofl,  and  three  Miles  round  it. 
Now  'tis  a  Tradition,  that  Rats,  like  falfc 
Friends,  fly  from  you  when  Danger  approach- 
es, and  defert  the  Ship  that  leans,  or  the  Houfc 

that  is  ready  to  tumble.     The   young  Cheva- 
*  .-•**]• 

her 

* 

(a)   Ann;  25 *( 


(57) 

Her  'tis  faid,  complained  bitterly  during  thd 
Courfc  of  his  Engli/h  Expedition,  offome  po- 
litical Rats  that  had  long  drank  and  fwore 
in  his  Service,  that  had  fought  many  Cam- 
paigns for  him  over  the  Bottle  j  but  when  he 
invited  them  to  join  his  Standard,  and  make 
the  Campaign  of  Danger,  they  all  fled  away  and, 
forfook  him.  Now  as  your  learned  Friend  can 
initiate  you  into  all  the  Myfieries  of  Exorcifm9 
what  think  you,  if  you  fhould  be  rewarded  for 
your  diftinguimed  Zeal,  with  the  Poft  of  Rat- 
catcher General  to  his  R-- y--l  H— gh— fs  ?  But 
I  only  mention  this  en  paJJ'ant,  as  a  Hint  that 
may  be  of  Service. 

Before  I  difmifs  this  Subject,  it  may  not  be 
improper  to  take  Notice,  that  when  the  Cate- 
chumen is  going  to  receive  Exorcijm,  he  h  not 
at  firft  admitted  into  the  Church,  but  to  ftand 
at  the  Door  orfomewhere  near  itt  (a)  till  his  Pro- 
fefiions  have  been  examined  and  approved  of  by 
the  fpiritual  Co?nmiJjary-General  of  the  Muflers, 
This  done,  the  holy  Conjuration  begins ;  the  £- 
i)il  Spirit  is  fird  cut  of  the  Soul,  a  Terror  is  caft 
itpon  him,  and  be  flies  from  his  PojjeJJlon,  (b) 
and  becomes  a  poor  "Bankrupt  Devil.  Could 
not  our  learned  Author,  inftead  ofjiring  a^ay 
his  Devil,  fuffocate  him  as  one  would  a  Ncft 

of  Hornets  ?  Then    we    mould   never   be 

plagued  with  him  aay  more  : But   I  re- 

H  collect 

(a)  C»c.  £.  227.        (b)  Cat.  p.  227, 


(53) 

colled:  myfelf  and  aflc  this  Gentleman's  Pardon. 
I  had  not  duly  coniider'd  the  Conftitution  of 
his  Catholic  Church.  A  Bankrupt  Devil  makes 
a  rich  Priefthood,  but  a  J'ujfocated  Devil  would 
make  a  Bankrupt  Prieft. 

Our  learned  Author  having  already  form'd 
two  different  Attacks  upon  the  Enemy,  and 
both  driven  away  the  Devil,  and  fir'd  him  from 
the  Soul ;  next  he  afts  the  Part  of  an  Ecclefi- 
aflical  Man-Midwife,  and  delivers  you  from 
Satan.  And  now  it  is,  and  not  before,  that 
you  are  admitted  into  the  Privilege  of  entering 
God's  Houfe.  *tbe  Prie/l  takes  the  Cate- 
chumen by  the  right  Hand,  (a)  and  brings  him 
into  the  Church,  leading  him  into  the  Baptiftery 
or  Place  where  he  is  to  be  baptized,  and  pray- 
ing that  God  'would  receive  him  into  his  holy 
Houfiold  and  keep  him  in  the  fame.  Being  thus 
admitted  into  the  Church,  he  muft  renounce  the 
Devil  towards  the  Weft,  becaufe  that  being  di» 
reSllj  oppojite  to  the  Eaft,  the  Place  of  Light9 
doth  fymbolically  reprefent  the  Prince  of  Dark- 
nefs  whom  he  renounces,  and  this  he  is  to  do  like 
a  true  Ecclefiaftical  Prize-fighter,  with  his  Hands 

ftretch'd  out,   and  in  Defiance  of  the  Devil. 

He  is  likewife  to  perform  fome  other  devout 
Pranks  with  his  Face  towards  the  Eaft,  with  his 
Hands  and  Eyes  lifted  up  towards  Heaven.  He 
looks  towards  the  Eaft,  becaufe  as  Jbon  as  he 

has 

k)   Cat,  p.  227. 


(59) 

has  renounced  tie  Devil,  the  Paradife  of  God 
which  was  planted  in  the  Ea/t,  and  out  of  which 
our  fir  ft  Parent  was  banifloed,  is  now  open  to  kimy 
and  his  turning  about  from  the  Weft  to  the  Ea/l 
is  a  Symbol  of  this.  Be  fides  the  Raft,  or  the  ri- 
Jing  Sun,  is  an  Emblem  of  the  Sun  of  Righte- 
ou/nejs,  to  whom  the  Catechumen  is  now  turned 

from  Satan,  and  the  Defign  of  our  fpiri- 

tual   Merry- Andrew  in  all  this  is,  would 

you  have  thought  it  ?  to  make  Men  fenfible  of 
the  Nature  of  the  Cbriftian  Religion.  fa)  But 
what  if  our  Catechumen,  whiltt  he  is  officiating 
with  Chrift  with  his  Face  towards  the  Eaft, 
fhould  be  turning  his  Back  upon  Paradife  ? 
Your  learned  Friend  has  not  thought  fit  to 
inftruft  us  where  Paradife  Hood.  Some  of 
his  adored  Fathers  will  not  allow  it  to  have  had 
any  local  Situation  at  all,  —  but  explain  a- 
waythe  whole  Hiftory  into  Allegory  and  Figure. 
Others  plac'd  it  in  the  third  Heaven,  and  the 
Mahommedans  place  it  in  the  ytli.  Some  of  the 
Fathers  plac'd  it  in  the  middle  Region  of  the 
Air,  above  the  Earth,  under  the  Earth,  in  fome 
hidden  Recefs  not  to  be  difcovered  by  us,  in 
the  Tract  poffefs'd  at  prefent  by  the  Cafpian 
Sea,  under  the  Artie  Pole,  and  under  the  E- 
quator.  Some  have  difcovered  it  in  Afia,  fome 
in  Africa,  fome  in  Europe,  America,  in  Tarta- 
ry,  upon  the  Banks  of  the  Danube,  and  the 
'Ganges.  Others  we  are  told  have  difcovered  it 

H  2  in 

(a)  Cat.  p.  22$. 


(6o) 

in  the  Ifle  of  Ceylon,  in  Perfia,  in  Armenia,  in 
Mefopotamia,    in  Chaldea,  in  Arabia,  in  Palej- 
tine,    in  Syr/j,    about  the    Mountains   of  Z//- 
&*«#j    and    Antilibanus,     near     the    City    of 
Damafcus    and    Tripoly,     in    ^Ethiopia,     and 
which   will   doubtlefs    be   thought    as    ftrange 
in  Sweden,    —  or  which  is  ftranger    ftill,    in 
the  World  in   the  Moon,  (aj  Now  what  ligni- 
fies  believing  in  Chrift  towards  the  Eaft,  as   an 
Emblem  of  Paradife,  if  your  learned  Catechift 
cannot  tell  us  where  Paradiie  lay.    He'll  tell  me 
it  was  Eaft  of  Judea*     Be  it  fo.  —  But  pleafe 
Sir  to  inftrucl:  your  moft  learned  Friend,   that 
the  fame   Place   may   be  Eajt  of  one  Country 
and   Weft  of  another.     If  Paradife  be   Eaft  of 
Judea,    'tis  Weft    of  Perfia.     It  follows  then, 
that  if  all  Men  mould  make  their  Vows  to  God, 
facing  towards  Paradife,    which  is  our  Author's 
Intention,    when    he   directs  you    to  face  to- 
jyards   the  Eaft,    in    different   Countries   they 
mufl   face    different  and    oppolite  Ways,    and 
what   then   becomes  of  his  Symbol  Worihip  ? 
But    is    not  the  whole  Earth  the  Lord'sy    or 
doth  He  keep  his  Court   only  in  one  particular 
Corner  of  the  Globe  ?  Are  you,  in  your  folcmn 
Devotions,     to    mind  which    Way   the  Wind 
blows,    left  if  it   mould  be   in  a  wrong  Quar- 
ter,   it  mould    obftruc~t   the   wafting  of  your 
AddrelTes  to  the  Almighty's  Throne !  —  Your 
learned  Friend  no  Doubt  will  affert  roundly, 

that 

ty  Vfc.  Vniv.  Hijt.  Vol.  jft. 


(  6'  ) 

that  God  is  not  God  of  the  Weft;  for  how 
(hould  he,  when  the  Weft  is  the  Symbol  of  the 
Devil.  What  a  pitiful  Cafe  then  are  we  in,  in 
thefe  We/tern  Nations,  where  all  but  the  Priefts 
'who  are  God's  Representatives,  (z)  muft  in  fome 
Sort  be  the  Reprefentatives  of  the  Devil :  At 
leaft,  if  the  Weft  be  the  Devil's  Image,  as  our 
learned  Author  affures  us  it  is,  muft  not  the  In- 
habitants of  the  West  be  the  Image  of  the  Devil's 
Subjects  ?  But  why  after  all,  fo  much  wheel- 
ing about  to  the  Left  and  to  the  Right,  and  to 
the  Left  and  the  Right  again,  whereby  a  Qz- 
tbolic  Saint's  Exercife  becomes  more  difficult 
than  a  Soldier's  ?  Pity  but  thefe  Symbol  Religi- 
onifts,  would  now  and  then  look  towards  Golgo- 
tha in  their  Devotions  j  would  it  not  exhibit 
their  own  Likenefs,  under  the  Symbol  of  the 
Place  of  Skulls  ? 

I  fhall  be  poffibly  told,  that  the  Church  of 
England,  a  Church  which  I  have  confefs'd  to 
be  a  Bulwark  to  the  Reformation,  adopts  the 
very  Practice  I  have  been  decrying,  of  bowing 
towards  the  Eaft,  tho'  not  of  renouncing  the 
Devil  towards  the  Weft,  in  her  Devotions.  I 
anfwer ;  whatever  fome  overgrown  Zealots  may 
practife,  I  cannot  learn  from  the  Canons  or 
Rubrics  of  the  Church  of  England,  that  this 
Practice  is  any  Part  of  her  Confritution.  Tis 
only  a  Corruption  of  her  Worfhip,  and  as  it  is 
no  where  prefcrib'd  in  the  Book  of  Common 
Prayer,  is  forbidden  tQ  be  us'd  in  divine  Scr* 

vice 
t»)  Cat.  p.  63. 


vice,  by  an  exprefs  Statute of  ift  of  Elizabeth, 
c.  2.  which  enadls,  that  no  other  Rite  or  Cere- 
mony fhall  be  us'd  in  Time  of  divine  Service,  or 
Sacraments,  than  thofe  prefcrib'd  in  the  Book 
of  Common  Prayer,  under  Pain  of  Imprifon- 
ment,  and  other  Penalties  and  Forfeitures 
therein  mention'd. 

Tho*  our  learned  Doffor,  has  both  driven 
and  pr'd  the  Devil  from  his  Spiritual  Pa- 
tient>  and  delivered  him  too,  yet  it  (hould 
feem  that  he  has  not  been  able  to  foil  him. 
He  has  not  been  fo  ill  fcar'd  orfcorcbed,  bat 
he  dare  return  to  the  Charge,  and  renew  the 

Combat.     Make  Way  then clear  the  Field 

for  another  Engagement,  and  patiently  wait  for 

the  Iffue. Next  then  comes   anointing  with 

holy  Oy/,  for  why  may  there  not  be  Holinefs 
in  Oy/,  as  well  as  in  Water  ?  Bat  the  Ration- 
ale of  this  ?  Why,  becaufe  the  Pagans  of  old 
anointed  their  Wreftlers  and  Runners  in  their 
Gymnic  Games,  in  order  to  give  their  Bodies 
greater  Agility  and  Vigour,  fo,  in  oar  Popifh 
Paganifm,  we  are  taught  to  anoint  the  baptiz'd 
with  Oy/,  that  they  may  in  the  Spiritual  Race 
run  fafter  from  the  D^vil.  Bsfides,  will  it  not 
give  the  baptiz'd  th^t  Lubricity  or  Sleeknefs, 
that  will  enable  them'  fb  elude  Satan's  Attacks, 

and  flip  like  an  Eel  thro'  his  Clutches  ?(a) 

Bat  our  Author  in  this,  as  in   many  other  In- 

ftances, 

{a)  Cat.  p.  229.— —make  their  Limbs  Supple,  that  their  A^- 
.Ugonifts  nMghs  take  lefs  hold  of  them . 


fiances,  has  only  exhibited  to  our  View  fomc 
Outlines  of  his  Scheme.  It  will  be  foon  enough 
for  the  Monfter  to  (hew  himfelf  in  his  full 
Proportion,  when  he  has  fhaken  off  his  Chains, 
and  you  can  no  more  refill  his  Rage ;  that  is, 
when  this  Catholic,  dntiproteftant  Church  is 
eftablifli'd.  Befides,  weak,  Protefiant  Under- 
fhndings,  could  no  more  bear  a  Flood  of  Su- 
perftition  breaking  in  upon  them  all  at  once, 
than  a  weak  Eye  could  bear  a  fudden  and  rapid 
Flood  of  Day Sir  John  Cbardin  in  his  Tra- 
vels, has  given  us  a  very  intelligible  Account 
of  the  Importance  and  Ufefulnefs  of  holy  Oyl. — 
"Tis  an  unexhauftible  Fountain  of  facred  Trea- 
fures  to  the  Church,  that  difFufes  itfelf  into  ten 
thoufand  rich  and  refrefhing  Streams !  'Tis  an 
Article  that  Priefts  of  ©ur  Author's  Complexion 
trade  largely  in,  who  make  Merchandize  of 
Souls,  and  fet  to  Sale  the  holy  Gbofl.  'Tis 
us'd  in  the  Greek  and  Armenian  Churches,  in- 
flead  of  Water  in  Baptifm,  as  well  as  for  the 
Purpofe  of  Extreme  Unction. 

This  occafions  a  very  great  Confumption  of  it, 
and  confequently  as  great  a  Demand  for  it.  'Tis 
faidtwo  of  a  Trade  feldom  agree.  .  This  was  the 
Cafe  in  the  Inftance  that  follows.  During  the 
Courfe  of  Sir  John's  Travels,  a  Competition  of 
Interefts  arifing  from  the  Merchandize  of  this  ho- 
ly Oyl,  caus'd  great  Difputes  and  Contentions  be- 
tween the  Perjian  Patriarch,  and  the  Armenian 
Patriarch  of  Jerujalem.  Not  being  abk  to  bring 

their 


(64) 

their  Differences  to  an  amicable  Accommoda- 
tion, thcfe  two  Pr*flfefe*BHhaffcj  as  Catholic-* 
Bimops  have  been  oft  wont  to  do,  excommu- 
nicated and  gave  each  other  to  the  Devil  round- 
ly ;  and  not  fatisfy'd  with  giving  each  other  to 
the  Devi/,  they  commenc'd  litigious  Suits,  and 
gave  each  other  to  the  Lawyers,  as  if  their 
Hell  had  been  the  hotteft  of  the  two.  Vaft  was 
the  Confufion  which  this  Affair  occafion'd.(a) 
Our  learned  Catechift  has  not  thought  it  as  yet 
expedient  to  let  the  World  know,  that  his  Soul- 

faying  Oy/  is  a   Marketable    Commodity. 

However,  he  has  dropt  a  broad  Hint,  from 
whence  we  may  infer  that  it  is.  Ble//ingo{Qy\ 
and  of  Ointment  he  afferts  to  be  the  fole  Pre- 
rogative, the  unalienable  Prerogative  of  his  Ca- 
tholic- Bimops.  (b)  And  if  it  be  fuch  a  gainful 
Trade  to  fell  it,  whofe  Prerogative  mould  it  be 

to  make  it  but  theirs  ?  He  has  not  indeed 

told  us  they  may  make  Merchandize  of  it,  but 
flep  to  the  Salvation  Market  of  Rome,  you'll  find 
how  it  is.  Selling  of  Sacraments  is  an  Orthodox 
Practice  there.  Infallibility  itfelf  approves  of  it. 
And  if  the  facred  Liquid  brings  in  a  large  Re- 
venue to  the  Priefts,  muft  it  not  be  an  ill  O- 
men  to  the  Devil  to  fee  his  fworn  and  declared 
Enemies,  God's  Reprefentatives,  thus  rioting  irf 
Wealth  and  Power?  — ~  This  is  fufficient  to 
Account  for  the  Efficacy  of  the  holy  Qyl. 

Irf 

(a)  Cbardin's  Travels  p.  333.  334. 

ft)  Father  Paul's  Council  ot  Trent,  p.  247, 


In  our  learned  Catechi/l's  LefTon  upon  Bap- 
tifm,  we  have  fome  other  very  fignificative 
Rites.  Putting  off  the  old  Garment  wore  before 
Baptifm,  iignifies  What?  —  What  mould  it 
fignify,  but  Mens  putting  off  the  old  Rags  of 
their  Corruptions.  This  Practice  has  Antiquity 
to  countenance  and  fupport  it.  Thus  the 
antient  Arabs,  before  Mahommed's  ^  Time, 
caft  off  their  Cloaths  in  fome  Part  of  their 
Devotions,  as  an  Emblem  of  their  carting  off 
their  Sins,  (a)  But  our  Author  will  icarce  own 
that  he  has  adopted  this  Rite  from  the  Prac- 
tice of  the  antient  Arabs.  Again  the  baptiz'd 
cloathing  themfelves  after  Baptifm  with  white 
Garments,  denotes  their  putting  on  Jefus  Chrift 
Then  comes  the  Kifs  of  Peace,  and  feed- 
ing upon  confecrated  Oyl  and  Honey.  Unra- 
vel me  the  Myftery  of  this  ?  In  the  Eaftern 

Countries  it  feems,  the  Inhabitants  live  much 
upon  Milk,  Oyl,  and  Honey,  the  Nature  of 
their  Clime  and  Constitutions,  not  allowing  the 
Ufe  of  that  grofs  Diet  which  is  familiar  to  us 
in  colder  Regions,  (b)  •  —  Hence  it  follows, 
that  Oyl  and  Honey,  which  was  the  common 
Food  of  the  Jews,  mould  be  the  Cbriftian's 

Spiritual    Diet. "  At  this  Rate,"  fays  an 

ingenious  Writer •,  {<  every    Madnefs  would   be 

"  made  a  Myftery.   , We  might  be  made 

I  "  to 


(a)  Salis  Koran,    p.   121. 

(b)  Maundreirs  Journey  from   dleppo  to  Jtrufalem. 


(66) 

"  to  walk  barefooted   into  the  Church,  to  fig. 
"  nify  the   Sanctity  of  the  Place,  and  to  crawl 
<f  upon  all  four  out   of  it,  to  fignify  the  Hu- 
"  miliation  of  our  Hearts.     A  Match  of  Cud- 
"  gel  playing  every  Sunday,  might  be  inftitut- 
'*  ed    to  fignify    our  Spiritual    Warfare,  and  a 
"  Game  at    Blind  Man's    Buff,  to  fignify  the 
"  Darknefs  of  our   Underftandings."     A    Pull 
at  Back  Gammon,  might  be  inftituted  as  fome 
Part    of  your  Nonjuror's  folemn  Devotions ;  as 
a  proper  Emblem  of  the  Inftability  of  Fortune, 
and  the  Viciffitude  of  all  human  Affairs ;  and  a 
Sunday's  Foxhunting  Chace  might  be  moft  de- 
voutly   appointed  to  fignify  their  hunting  down 
their  Corruptions,    and  unkennelling  he  Wiles 
of  the  Devil.     Agreeable  hereto,  if  I  am  right- 
ly inftructed,  the   Portuguese   have  in  St.   An- 
thony^ Church  in  Lijbon,  a  Picture    of  Jefus 
Chrift,  and  the  Devil  playing  a  Game  at  Puttt 
or  fome  other  analogous  to  it,  for  the  Salvation 
of  Mankind  :    The  Virgin  Mary  ftands  behind 
Jefus  Chriftj  and  patts  him  on  his  Shoulder  en- 
couraging him  to  ftand   his  Game.     And  if  I 
remember  right,  Bimop  Burner,  in  his  Travels, 
tells  us,  that   in   the   City  of  Worms^  in    Ger- 
many, they  have  in   one  of  their    Churches  as 
holy  and  farcical     an  Emblem  of  Tranfubftan- 

tiation.     It  is  this,  a  Windmill,  and   the 

Virgin  Mary  with  the  Infant  Jejus  in  her  Arms, 
landing  at  the  Hopper,  into  which  (he  cafts 
him,  and  he  comes  out  at  the  Eye  of  the  Mill 

in 


(67) 

in  a  huge  Multitude  of  Wafers,  the  holy  Priefls 
ready  waiting  to  fcramble  them  up  as  faft  as 
they  can.  Thus  likewife  the  Papifts  tells  us, 
that  their  feven  Sacraments  are  typify'd  and  fet 
forth  by  the  Book  in  the  Revelations,  fealed 
with  the  feven  Seals ;  and  by  the  feven  Trum- 
pets given  to  the  feven  Angels ;  and  by  the 
feven  Stars  the  Son  of  Man  had  in  his  Right 
Hand  j  and  by  the  feven  I /oaves  with  which 
our  Saviour  fed  the  Multitude  ;  and  by  the  fe- 
ven Eyes  upon  one  Stone  mention'd  by  the 
Prophet  ;  and  by  the  feven  Lamps  fet  on  the 
Candleftick  of  the  Tabernacle  ;  and  by  Jofoua's 
comparing  the  City  of  Jericho  feven  times, 
when  about  to  beftege  it ;  and  by  Naamans 
dipping  himfelf  feven  times  in  Jordan,  (a) 
Iraneus  one  of  your  FfiettiT*  ador'd  Oracles,  the 
Fathers,  proves  that  there  are  four  Gofpels,  be- 
caufe  there  are  four  principal  Regions  of  the 
Earth,  Eaft,  We^  North,  and  South t  or  be- 
caufe  the  Building  of  the  Church  is  founded 
on  the  Gofpel,  and  there  mud  be  four  Pillars 
to  fupport  a  Building.  Tbeopbylaci's  Strength  of 

I  2  Genius 


(a)  Septem  Sacramenta  quae  figurantur  per  fcptcm  fignacula 
quibus  fuit  veteris  Tellamenti  Pagina  Sigillata.  Apoc.  5.  Item  per 
feptem  Tubas,  quibus  Angeli  cecinerunt.  Apoc.S.et  per  feptem  Bel- 
las quas  habuit  Similes  filio  Hominis  in  dextra  iua.  Apoc.  i.  Item 
per  feptem  Panes  quibus  Dominus  turbas  fatiavit.  Mat.  »^.  Item 
per  feptem  Oculos  fuper  unam  Lapidcm.  Zech.  3.  et  per  feptcm 
Lucernas  Tabernaculi  luper  poluas  Landelabro.  Zach.  4.  Item  per 
feptem  Circuitiones  Jeirichulinas.  Joih.  6.  Item  per  icptem  Lotio- 
nes  Naaman  in  Jordanc. 

Lj'nw.  Prov.  p.  43. 


(63) 

Genius  foars  no  higher,  who  alledges,  that 
there  are  four  Golpels,  becaufe  Chriftiani- 
ty  teaches  four  Cardinal  Virtues ;  or  becaufe  it 
contains  Doctrines,  Precepts,  Promifes,  and 
Threatnings.  (a)  Thus  I  find  a  National  Coun- 
cil, and  Councils  cannot  err,  playing  as  facred- 

ly  on    the  Number  three.  In  three  Cafes 

a  Wife  may  legally  leave  her  Hbfband,  if  he 
has  a  Leprofy,  a  {linking  Breath,  or  be  unable 
to  give  her  due  Benevolence.  In  three  Cafes 
it  was  like  wife  decreed,  to  be  lawful  for  a  Man 
to  kifs  his  Neighbour's  Wife,  at  a  Banquet,  at 
a  Game  mention'd  by  the  Council,  and  upon 
Return  from  a  Journey,  by  Way  of  Salutation. 
Such  were  the  Importance  of  thefe  Canons, 
that  the  King,  the  Archblfkop,  and  three  Bijhopsy 
went  to  Rome,  to  engage  the  Pope  to  ratify  and 
confirm  them,  (b)  As  in  the  former  Inftances, 
fo  here,  there  was  beyond  all  doubt  fome  em- 
blematical Myftery  couch'd  under  the  Number 
three.  Even  fo  our  learned  Author  has  a  ftrange 
Medley,  a  goodly  Groupe  of  Myfteries  couch'd 
under  .his  trine  Baptifmal  Immerftcn.  (c)  The 
Armenians,  whofe  Corruptions  of  Christianity 

he 

(a)  Bayrbeyrac's  Spirit  of  the  ant.  Fathers. 

(b)  This  was  held  by  Hoel.  Ddha  for  Wales  in  970. 

Spel.  Cone.  411. 

(c)  See  Cat.  p.  231.     By  the  Defcent  into   the   Water,  is  re- 
prefented  drift's  Death. — By  our    being  totally    covered    with  it 
Chriit's    Burial,  and  by  the   Rifing  out  of  it  again  Chrift's  Refur- 
reftion.       This  Immerfion    adds  our  Author,  is  perform 'd  thrice, 
which  reprefents  the  Baptiz'd  Perfon's  Faith  in    the   holy  Trinity, 
Chriit's  three  Days  Burial,  and  his  Refurredion  on  the  third  Day. 


(69) 

he  always  imitates,  and  oft  improves  upon, 

give  you  as  inftrudtive  and  edifying  an  Emblem 

in  the  following  Relation.  They  tell  you 

that  Jefu*  Cbrift  being  at  School  to  learn  the 
Armenian  Tongue,  would  never  pronounce  the 
firft  Letter  of  their  Alphabet,  unlefs  his  Mafter 
would  give  him  a  Reaion  why  it  reprefented  an 
m  inverted.  The  good  Man  not  knowing  who 
the  Infant  Jefus  was,  gave  him  a  Box  on  the 
Ear.  Well,  faid  Jejus  without  any  Emotion! 
fince  you  do  not  know  I'll  tell  you  ;  this  Let- 
ter reprelents  the  Trinity  by  it's  three  Legs,  (a) 
The  Matter  of  the  Scrjpol  admir'd  his  Know- 
ledge, and  fent  him  to  his  Mother,  confefling 
the  Child  was  wifer  than  himfeif !  Not  fo  wile 
as  our  learned  Doftor  neither. 

Now  by  fuch  Spiritual  Legerdemain,  fuch 
Thimble  and  Button  Logic  as  this,  a  Man  may 
illuftrate  every  Thing  out  of  any  Thing  ;  may 
prove  the  very  fame  Thing  to  be  either  a  God 
or  a  Broom/lick. 

But.  to  return  to  the  Ufe  of  Oyl,  as  a  prepa* 
ratory  Sacrament,  to  the  Sacrament  of  Baptifm. 
Should  not  our  learned  Author,  tinder  this 
Head,  have  led  his  Difciples  thro'  a  Proccfs  of 
Cbymiftry,  in  order  to  enable  them  more  fuc- 
cefsfully  to  confront  the  Devil  ?  Should  he  not 
have  inform  *d  them,  whether  Ejential,  or  7 

fyrettmatic 

(a)  Tourncfbn's  Voyage  to  the  Levant  Vol.  3.  p.  236. 


(7°) 

pyreumatic  Oyls  are  to  be  us'd  on  the  folemn 
Occafion  ?  Whether  Animal,  Vegetable •,  or  Mi- 
neralOyl  is  moft  fit  for  the  Purpofe  ?  Whether  it 
fhould  be  Oyl  obtain'd  by  Emulfion,  Expref- 
fion,  Coction,  or  fevere  Torture :  And  as  fome 
of  our  Aromatic  Oyls  are  feldom  to  be  met 
with  unadulterated,  fhould  he  not  have  given 
fome  Rule  whereby  to  know  whether  the  De- 
vil and  the  Chymifl  be  not  join'd  in  a  Confede- 
racy, to  fophifticate  the  facred  Oyl,  and  there- 
by rob  Mankind  of  its  Divine  Efficacy  and 

Virtue?    But  I    (land  corrected. Thefe  are 

Myfteries  not  to  be  frufted  with  tinferlEtify'd 
Laymen.  It  belongs  only  to  Bi/hops  and  Priejh 
to  God's  Repre/entatives,  to  Chrift's  Vicars,  to 
the  Prime  Stewards  of  God's  Revenues  ;  to  the 
Chief  Majiers  of  his  Houfehold ;  and  to  his  (a) 
Almoners  to  know  them.  'Tis  enough  for  the 
Afs,  that  he  can  eat  his  Provender  without 
knowing  how  to  drefs  it ;  and  'tis  enough  for 
ChrijTs  Champion  againft  the  Devil,  for  fuch 
your  learned  friend  calls  him,  (b)  that  he 
knows  where  to  buy  holy  Oyl :  If  he  doth  but 

know  further  where,  any  one  may  tell  how, 

to  get  a  Purjey  to  pay  the  Prieft  for  it. 
However,  tho'  our  Author  has  moft  religioufly 
kept  us  in  the  Dark,  as  to  the  Procefs  made 
ufe  of  for  the  Preparation  of  the  holy  Oyl,  I 
prefent  my  Reader  with  fome  Account  of  it, 
and  Jirft  how  it  is  managed  by  the  Armeuians. 

It 

^ 

£)  Cat.  p,  207.         (b)  Cat.  p.  229. 


(7O 

It  will  not  be  unentertaining  to  the  good  Pro- 
teftant,  to  fee  with  what  devout  Eclat  and  Su- 
perftitious  Parade  the  whole  Bufinefs  is  con- 
ducted. 

It  is  prepar'd  between  the  Vefpers  on  Palm- 
Sunday,  and  the  Mafs  on  Holy  Thurfday  j  which 
is  celebrated'  on  this  Day  on  a  great  Veffel, 
wherejn  this  Liquor  is  preferv'd.  They  ufe 
neither  common  Wood  nor  common  Coals. to 
boil  the  Kettle,  left  the  Sacredneis  of  the  Oyl, 
fhould  be  tainted  by  any  unfanclified  Drofs, 
or  Rubbim.  Inftead  thereof,  they  boil  it  with 
Wood  that  has  been  blej's'd  and  with  any 
Thing  thas  been  us'd  in  Churches.  Old  I- 
mages,  worn-out  and  decay'd  Ornaments,  torn 
Books,  are  moft  religiouily  preferved  for,  and 
appropriated  to  this  facred  Service.  This  Fire 
cannot  fmell  very  agreeably  j  but  the  Oyl  is 
perfum'd  with  Herbs  and  odoriferous  Drugs, 
which  are  mix'd  with  it.  They  are  not  or- 
dinary Clerks,  or  your  little  Hackney  Pettifog- 
gers in  Divinity,  who  are  employed  in  mak- 
ing this  wonderful  Compolition.  'Tis  the  Pa* 
trlarch  himlelf,  cloathed  in  his  Pontifical 
Veftments,  attended  at  leaft  by  three  Prelates, 
in  their  Pontifical  Habits,  who  altogether  re- 
cite certain  Prayers  during  the  whole  Cere- 
mony. (%)  Here  is  pure  and  undefiled  Re- 
ligion !  But 


(a)  Tournefort's  Voyage  to  the  Levant  Vol.  3.  p.'  2*2. 


(7O 

But  'tis  prefum'd,    your  Catholic  Friend  has 
not  his  holy  Oyl  imported  hither  from  Arme- 
nia.    Befides  other  Inconveniences  j    in  Times 
of  War  the  facred  Treafure  might  fall  into  E- 
nemies  Hands,  as  was  the  Cafe  with  500  Bules 
of  Bulls,    taken  on   board   a  Spanijh    Galleon., 
by    the    Briftol   Privateer    in    1709.       Sixteen 
Reams  made  up  a   Bale,    fo  that  the  whole 
Number   was  computed   to    amount   to   three 
Million,   eight  Hundred  and/or/y  Tboufand  In- 
dulgences.    What  a  Pity,  that  fuch  a  rich  Soul- 
faying  Cargo,    mould  ever  have  fallen  into  the 
Hands  of  Heretics !     To    guard    againft  fuch 
fatal  Difafters,    we'll  fuppofe  that  the  Catechift 
blejj'eth  his  own   Oyl.     Why  then,  doth  he  not 
inform  us  that,    according  to  the  Conftitutions 
of  his  Mother  Church,  this  Oyl  mutt  be  blefb'd 
not  once  or  twice,  but  nine  Times  together,  in 
order   more  effectually  to  purge  away  the  Devil 
out  of  it,    and  to  exterminate   its  impregnated- 
ejfential  Pollution  ?    Why  doth  he  not  inftruct 
us,    that  it  is  to  be  blefled  thrice  with  an  Ave, 
Santfum  Oleum  ;    thrice  with  an  Ave,  SancJum 
Chrifma  j  and  thrice  with  an  Avey  SancJum  Bal- 
famum  ?    As  he  is  faid  to  be  one  of  the  Catho- 
lic-Church Bifhops,    to   whom  thefe  Conjecra- 
tions  belong,    he  cannot  be  fo  much  a  Stranger 
to   the  Duties  of  his  Function,    as    to  be  un- 
acquainted with  thefe  Maigic,  Devi  I- con  front- 
ing Rites !    Why  has  he  not  further  given  us 
the   Form  us'd  in  exorcijing  the  Devil  out  of 

the 


(n) 

the  Oyl,  which  runs  thus, — —  <c  I  exorcift 
"  thee  O  unclean  Spirit,  and  all  Incurfion  of 
"  Satan  or  Phantom,  in  the  Name  of  the  Fa- 
tc  ther,  &c*  that  thou  depart  from  this  Oyl, 
cc  that  it  may  be  a  fpiritual  Unclion,  to  corro- 
<e  borate  the  Temple  of  the  living  God,  that 
<c  the  holy  Spirit  may  dwell  therein,  in  the 
"  Name  &c." 

And  this  leads  me  to  obferve,  befides  the 
Sacrament  of  anointing  the  Perfon  to  be  baptiz'd 
with  holy  Oy/,  there  is  another  as  near  akin  to  it, 
as  Madjtefs  is  to  Super/lit ion  ;  and  that  is,  anoint- 
ing the  fame  Perfon  with  Chryfm  or  Ointment. 
fpiritual  Phyfic  prepar'd  one  Way,  or  pre- 
fcrib'd  in  one  Form,  will  not  do,  we  muft 
try  how  it  operates  in  another.  An  old  chro- 
nical Devil,  it  feems,  like  old  chronical  Dif* 
tempers,  is  not  eafily  to  be  expelPd,  or  con- 
quer'd:  Every  Method  mutt  be  effay'd,  in 
order  to  ejeft  him  out  of  PoiTeffion.  Tho* 
we  are  not  favour'd  by  our  learned  Author, 
with  the  Procefs  of  making  holy  Oyl ;  yet 
to  {hew  his  great  Abilities  in  both  his  Pro- 
feffions.  he  has  given  us  the  Subftance  of  a 

C3 

Prefcription  for   Ecclejiaftical   Chrifm  j    or,    if 

you  pleafe,    for    his  fpiritual  Ointment. 

Only  he  would  avoid  all  Shew  of  Pedantry  5 


K  other  wife 


(74) 

otherwise  in  the  Style  of  the  learned  Facul- 
ty,  it  would  run  thus, 

R    01    Olivar.    Bals.  Gilead.  pur.  ana.  q.    s.  mifc.  a.  a.  fiat 
Unguent,  fecund.   Pharmacopoeiam   Papalem  i 

Unguent.  Catholic.  Antidiabol.     (a) 

But   the  Misfortune  is,    genuin  and  unfophif- 
ticated   Balm  of  Gilead,    how  rarely   is  it  to 
be  met  wkh  ?    This  Liquid  flows  in   Summer 
from  the  Trunk  of  a  certain   Shrub     former- 
ly found    in   that  Part   of    the    World    from 
whence  it  takes  it  Name.      Since  the   Turks 
were  Matters  of  the  Holy  Land,    they  tranf- 
plantcd  this  Shrub  into  their  Gardens  at  Grand 
Cairo  5  which  are  not  only  guarded  with  ftrong 
Walls     but  likewife  wiih  Soldiers,  during  that 
Seafon,   in  which  the   Balfbm   flows      If  then 
it    be   fo  difficult  to  get  at  in  the  Holy  Land, 
what  muft  it  be   to  procure   it  unfophif 
ed  mOurs? 

You  may  learn  from  your  good  Friend  the 
D^r,  or,  if  not  from  him,  you  may  lear 
from  any  Botany  Profeffor,  that  the  Plant  called 
Scabious  or  DeviFsM,  has  only  fome  fmall 
fibrous  Roots,  and  upon  Examination,  appear 
as  if  the  Mafter  Root  was  bit  off  dole 

the  Stalk Accordingly,    Tradition  is  my 

Authority,  (your  learned  Friend  has  no  Right 

(a)  Confecrated  Chrifm  or  Ointment  is  cornposM  of  fwcrt  Og 
qf  Olive*  and  precis  Balfoo,  commonly  ulld  W^r^; 


(75) 

to  infift  upon  a  better)  that  the  Mafler  Root 
was  bit  off  by  the  Devil,  in  order  to  rob  Man- 
kind of  its  many  falutary  and  fanatfVe  Virtues. — 
And  do  you  not  think  Sir,  that  'tis  owing  to 
this  fame  wicked  and  intriguing  Devil,  who 
be  fure  hates  holy  Oyl,  as  much  as  holy  Water \ 
that  our  learned  Catechi/l's  divine  Balfom  is 
fo  wretchedly  adulterated,  as  we  are  told  it 
oft  is  ?  — —  No  Wonder  that  the  Dev  II  dreaas 
holy  Oyl  and  Ointment ;  for  pour  Oyl  upon 
a  Flame,  and  will  it  not  rage  with  the  great- 
er Force  and  Fury  ? Pour  Oyl  upon  the 

unextinguimable  Flame  ;  this  accounts  for 

our   learned  Author's  firing  away  the  Devil! 

As  I  am  now  upon  the  Subject  of  Uncti- 
on, I  would  not  pafs  over  in  Silence  our  Au- 
thor's Unction  of  the  Sick.  Anointing  with 
Oyl,  upon  fome  particular  Occafions,  'tis  al- 
low'd,  was  antiently  practis'd,  both  by  Jews 
and  Heathens  :  Whence  it  derived  its  Origin,  is 
a  Point  at  this  Diftance  of  Time  not  eafy  to 
determine.  'Tis  philofophical  to  fuppofe,  that 
their  Oyl  and  odoriferous  Ointments  would,  in 
the  warm  Ea/lern  Climates,  operate  in  a  me- 
dicinal Way,  far  more  efficacioufly  than  they 
can  in  our  colder  Regions. Perhaps  anoint- 
ing with  Oyl  might  be  us'd,  as  Oyl  was  of 
fo  fubtle,  delicate,  and  penetrating  a  Contexture, 
that  it  would  eafily  infinuate  itfelf  thro'  all 
the  Pores  of  the  Body,  would  invigorate  the 
Motion  of  the  Fluids,  quicken  the  Animal 

K  2  Powers, 


(76) 

Powers,  brace  the  Nerves,  or  ftimulate  the 
Fibres.  The  Pfalmift,  when  he  imprecates,  or 
rather  proprieties  Vengeance  upon  the  Enemies 
of  the  State,  fays  j  let  it  come  like  Oyl  into 
his  Bones.  Solomon  gives  his  Teftimony  to  the 
fame  Purpofe ;  Ointment  rejoices  the  Heart. 
The  Prophet  Amos,  likewife  reprefenting  the 
wanton  Luxury  of  the  Jews,  fays  j  they  drank 
Wine  in  Bowls,  and  anoint  themfelves  with 
chief  Ointments ;  and  in  the  Hiftory  of  the  Sa- 
maritan,   •  his  Benevolence  is  difplay'd  by 

this  elegant  Figure,  of  pouring  Oyl  and  Wine 
into  the  diftreffed  Stranger's  Wounds,  which 
implies,  that  it  had  a  fanative,  refreshing  Vir- 
tue ;  and  when  the  Apoftle  James,  fummons 
the  Elders  (Prefbyters  if  you  pleafe)  to  pray 
over  the  Sick,  anointing  them  with  Oyl,  it 
feems  not  to  refer  fo  much  to  a  miraculous,  as 
to  a  medicinal  Efficacy  and  Power.  This  ap- 
pears the  more  probable,  as  Unction  was  not 
pra&ifed  by  the  Apoftles,  in  healing  all  Difea- 
fes,  but  in  fome  particular  Indifpofitions.  Where 
the  Nature  of  the  Diftemper  made  warm, 
cordial,  and  refreming  Medicines  necelTary, 
here  it  was  proper  to  anoint  with  Oyl.  In 
this  View  St.  James's  Advice  amounts  only 
to  this.  Pray  for  the  Sick,  and,  if  needful, 
fupply  them  with  Phyfick,  as  it  becomes  the 
Difciples  of  a  benevolent  Lord  and  Mafter  to 
do.  But  whether  this  was  the  Defign  of  anoint- 
ing with  Oyl,  or  whether  it  related,  as  Pro- 

teftants 


(77) 

teftants  generally  fuppofe,  to  any  miraculous 
Powers  then  fubfifting  in  the  Church,  the 
Reafons  for  this  Practice  muft  have  long  ceaf- 
ed  among  us,  and  confequently  the  Practice 
itfelf  mould  ceafe  with  them.  To  apply  a 
Precept  or  Example,  that  relates  only  to  fome 
peculiar  Circumftances,  as  a  general  and  ftated 
Rule  of  Action,  is  the  fure  Way  to  foiter  and 
cberim  all  Manner  of  Superflition.  If  our 
learned  Catechift  would  follow  the  Inductions 
of  Sf.  James  in  anointing  the  Sick,  why  doth 
he  not  likewife  follow  the  Example  of  our  Sa- 
viour, when  he  is  fummoned  to  attend  them, 
and  ride  on  an  Afs  ? 

I  am  next  to  enquire  of  our  learned  Author  ^ 
whether  any  Perfon~  anointed  with  holy  Oyl, 
if  he  recovers  from  his  Illnefs,  would  be  allow- 
ed by  him  afterwards  to  pay  due  Benevolence 
to  his  Wife  ?  I  fufpect  from  the  main  Scope  of 
his  Principles,  that  he  will  not  allow  it.  'Tis 
true,  if  it  be  Benevolence,  it  would  be  unchari- 
table to  deny ;  if  it  be  due  Benevolence,  it 
would  be  more  than  barely  uncharitable  j  it 
would  be  unjuft  to  detain  it.  •  However,  it 
was  a  Sentiment  that  prevaiPd  much  in  the 
Days  of  Superftition,  that  if  any  Per/on  re- 
covered from  Sicknefs,  after  he  hid  been  a- 
nointed  with  bofyQy],  he  mould  from  thence- 
forth abftain  from  all  conjugal  Commerce  asul 
Duty,  and  live  in  a  State  of  wedded  Widow- 
hood. This  Point  was  oft  canvafs'd  in  our 


(78) 

EngUJh  Councils,   (a)  and  at  laft,    to  prevent 
the  Inconveniencies  arifing  from  fo   unnatural 

an  Inhibition  ; it  was  decreed,    that  the 

Unction  of  the  Sick  mould  no  more  be  admi- 
niftred  but  under  the  Extremity  of  Nature, 
when  a  Perfon  was  paft  all  Hopes,  and  all 
Probability  of  Recovery.  This  is  now  the 
Practice  in  the  Church  of  Rome ;  and  for  the 
fame  Reafon  it  is  prefum'd,  in  the  Armenian 
Churches,  Extreme  Unction  is  adminiftred  to 
none,  till  they  are  actually  dead,  (b)  But  as 
our  learned  Catechift  adheres  to  the  earlier 
Practice,  which  was  attended  with  the  unna- 
tural Reftraint  I  have  mentioned,  in  Cafe  of 
a  Man's  Recovery,  this  fufficiently  accounts 
for  the  Queftion  I  have  urged  above.  Suffer 
me  further  to  afk  him,  whether  in  anointing 
the  Sick,  he  does  not,  as  prefcrib'd  by  the 
Council  of  Florence,  anoint  the  Feet,  the  Seats 
of  the  five  Senfes,  and  the  Reins  as  the  Seat 
of  Concupifcence  ? 

But  mould  it  be  afk'd,  why  is  it  neceflary 
that  Oyl  fhould  be  confecrated,  before  it  is  ap- 
plied to  thefe  fpiritual  Incantations,  our  learn- 
ed Author  anfwers,  "  'Tis  confecrated  in 

"  order  to  be  fanftified :  "    I  thought  confe- 
crating  it  had  been  fanctifying  it ;  but  it  feems 

I 

(a)  The  Councils  of  Wonefier  and  Exeter  in  the  Year  1287; 
that  of  Wincbefttr  in    1308,   and   that  si  Oxford  in   1322.  vid. 
Spelman, 

(b)  Tournefort's  Voyage  to  the  Lwani,   Vol.   3.  p.   248. 


(79) 

I  am  miftaken.  "  'Tis  confecrated,  or  by 
"  folemn  Defignation,  appropriated  to  that  fa- 
"  cred  Ufe,  to  be  fanctified  and  cleans'd  from 
"  that  Impurity,  with  which,  iince  the  Difo- 
"  bedience  of  our  firft  Parents,  all  the  Parts 
"  of  the  created  World  are  defiled/'  (a)  De- 
fil'd Fields,  defil'd  Gardens,  defil'd  Fruits,  de- 
fil'd Flowers,  defil'd  Temples,  defil'd  Houfes, 
defil'd  Hufbands,  defil'd  Wives,  defil'd  Vir- 
gins ;  and  nothing  pure  but  the  Catholic  Prieft, 
who  is  God's  Representative,  and  the  Catho- 
lic Pr left's  Concubine.  As  to  the  Prieft's  Con- 
cubine, her  Perfon  is  facred  as  well  as  the 
Prieft's  who  fanftifies  her.  She  is,  as  Pope 
Paul  the  third  allured  the  Duke  of  Mantua, 
exempt  from  all  fecular  Cognizance,  and  fub- 
ject  only  to  Eccle/iaftical  Jurifdiction.  fb)  From 
tiie  Sacrednefs  of  her  Character  and  Office t  one 
may  therefore  infer,  that  no  Defilement  can, 
reach  her.  But  can  you  inform  me  Sir,  whe- 
ther it  be  a  natural,  or  a  moral  Defilement, 
that  all  the  Parts  (thofe  only  already  excepted) 
of  the  created  World  are  polluted  with  ?  If 
our  Author  means  the  former,  as  from  the 
Connexion  it  mould  feem  he  muft,  wherein 
doth  this  natural  Pollution  confift,  and  what 
Certainty  have  we,  that  by  Dint  of  Confecra- 
tion,  our  Cburch-Chymift  can  extract  it  ?  How- 
ever, if  Confecration  be  attended  with  fuch  re- 
generating 

(a)  Catech.  p.  229.  230.' 

(b)  F»;hcr  /W's  Counc,  of  Trt*t>  p.  82, 


(8o) 

generating  Powers,    and  if  all  the  Farts  of  the 
created  World  are  deffid  by  the  Fall,    would  it 
rot  be  humane  j    would  it  riot  be  charitable, 
friendly  and  generous,    to  confecrate  our  Food, 
as  well  as  our  fpiritual  Phyfick  ;    to  confecrate 
our  Houfes  j    our  Gardens,    our  Fields,     our 
Herds    and  our   Cattle  j    to   confecrate  whole 
Families,  whole  Villages,  whole  Towns,  whole 
Parimes,     whole  Counties,    whole  Kingdoms, 
nay,    and  even  the   whole  World  ?  ~ —  But, 
perhaps,    your  learned  Friend  will  fay,    mould 
this  be  done    the  old  Serpent,    as  well  as  the 
young  Chevalier,    would  be  banifhed  out  of  his 
hereditary   Dominions ;    and  then  the  two  va- 
grant Adventurers  might  be  oblig'd  to  herd  to- 
gether.    For  my  own   Part,    I   am  at  a   Lofs 
to  conceive,  how  the  Appropriation  of  a  Thing 
for  facred  Ufe,    can  purge  away  any  inherent 
Uncleannefs.    But  we  have  your  learned  Friend  s 
infallible  ipfe  dixit  for  it,  that  it  can.     How- 
ever,   thefe  are  Difficulties   Men   muft  boggle 
at,    if  they  are  weak  enough  to  be  guided  by 
Reafon   and  common  Senfe  in  Religion. 

"  The  Fall"  continues  our  Author,  t{  im- 
tr  pregnated  all  the  Fruits  of  the  Earth  with 
*£  an  inherent  and  ejjential  Pollution,  as  with- 
<c  out  Confecration,  by  fome  facred  and  reli- 
<c  gious  Rites,  muft  render  them  utterly  unfit 
<{  to  be  uied  in  the  Service  of  the  Majefty  of  the 
<e  Supreme  Being."  Heavens  preferve  us  all, 
from  having  our  Brains  impregnated  with  fuch 

an 


an  inherent,  efftnfyl  holy  Delirium,  as  cannot 
be  (onfecrated  away!  EiTential  Impregnations ', 
or  if  you  pleafe  eflential  Accident^  for  one  is 
as  good  Senfe  as  the  other,  like  Popift  Protef- 
tants,  or  Proteftant  Papifts,  are  fuch  folid  Ab- 
fur di tics  as  can  be  palm'd  upon  no  Believer s% 
but  thofe  who'll  believe  Contradictions  to  be 
true  !  But  this  Wonder -working  Confecration, 
that  deftroys  the  inherent t  effential  Pollution  of 
the  Fruits  of  the  Earth,  muft  it  not  of  Con- 
fequence  deflroy  the  very  Nature  and  Subftance 
of  the  Things  confecrated  ?  The  Fruits  of 
the  Earth,  it  feems,  are  not  jit  to  be  appro- 
priated to  the  Service  of  that  God  whofe 
Workmanfoip  and  Creatures  they  are,  till  they 
are  new  made,  and  regenerated  by  the  more 
Jacred  Hands  of  a  Nonjun'ng,  fanatical  Clergy, 
Nature  before  the  Fall  was  in  her  Virgin  State, 
but  the  Difobedience  of  our  firft  Parents  de- 
flowered her.  However  our  Con[ecratory  our 
Spiritual  Conjurer^  I  fhould  have  faid,  (only  out 
of  Reverence  to  his  high  Ecclejjajlical  Dignities 
and  Function)  can  reftore  loft  Goods.  He'll  re* 
ftore  to  Nature  her  loft  Virgin- Charms  and 
Purity  !  and  conjecrate  away^an  impregnated- ef- 
Jential  Pollution. 


„, 


As  your  learned  Friend  can  ccnfecrate  away 
e  inherent,  ejj'ential  Properties  of  Things, 
could  he  think  you  conjecrate  a  Block  of  Lead, 
or  any  other  heavier  and  fojter  Block  that,  (hall 
be  — ^~,  namclefs,  into  fome  more  ufejul  Sub- 

L  ftance? 


(«*') 

fiance  ?  Could  he  ccnfecrate  it  into  a  Statue 
of  Silver,  which  like  Matrimony  I  mould  look 
upon  to  be  very  goody  or  into  a  Statue  of 
<?0A/,  which  like  Continence  is  undoubtedly 
#/2/ft&  better  ?  (a)  'Tis  not  difputed  but  that, 
at  all  Times,  he  can  confecrate  away  the  Guilt 
of  Treafon  and  Rebellion  ;  but  that  he  can 
confecrate  away  the  Tyrannies  and  Ufurpati- 
ons,  the  SuperfHtions,  Follies  and  Frenzies  of 
his  holy,  Catholic,  Apojlolic  Church  ;  but  that 
he  can  confecrate  Grimace  into  Godlinefs,  wild 
and  monftrous  Abfurdities  into  pure  and  or- 
thodox  Doctrine ;  and  devout  Dreams  and 
Rhapfodies,  into  Divine  Revelations.  P0- 
pifli  Cajuifls  tell  us,  the  Pope  can  confecrate 
Vice  into  Virtue,  and  whenever  he  pleafeth 
unconfeerate  it  again.  And  cannot  our  learned 
Catechift  do  as  much,  who  confecrates  away 

an  ejjential  Pollution  ?  He   may  further 

confecrate  the  Living  into  their  Graves,  but 
can  he,  confecrate  the  Dead  out  of  them  ?  If 
he  can  confecrate  away  an  ejjential  Pollution, 
he  may  do  this,  and  more  !  Shame  on  the 
Philofophy  of  a  Newton^  who  could  never 
teach  us  how  to  deftroy,  or  confecrate  away 
the  Eflence  of  Things :  Had  he  confulted  fome 
of  our  modern  Divinity  "Jugglers,  what  Won- 


ders might  he  not  have  done? 


Next 


.(a)    Marriage  like  Silver  is  gqod,    Continence  like  Gold  is 
tetter,    Cat,  p.  433. 


Next  to  the  Confecration  of  0>7,  comes  the 
Confecration  of  Water  j  whereby  faith  our 
learned  Catecbifa  "it  is  rendered  capable  of 
"  wafhing  away  Sins  and  purifying  Souls." 
More  Miracles  ftill  !  For  a  natural  Element 
to  waih  away  moral  Pollutions  is  extraordina- 
ry, very  extraordinary  I  confefs !  For  the  E- 

lement  of  Water  to  warn  away  an  E- 

vil  Thought, a  Lye,  — •—  Principles  of  Ra- 
pine and  Extortion,  out-miraclest  the  Mi- 
racles of  Rome  !  It  outftrips  all  her  fanctify'd 
Legends !  But  Faith  to  believe  thefe  Things, 
is  a  Imgular  Gracf,  which  like  the  Gift  of 
Continence  is  not  be  flowed  upon  all.  fa)  'Twas 
the  Sentiment  of  the  Roman  Orator ,  that  the 
Spots  of  the  Mind  are  neither  to  be  wafh'd  a- 
way  with  Water^  nor  with  Length  of  Time,  (b) 
But  Cicero  was  only  a  learned  Pagan.  He 
was  no  Catholic  Prieft,  and  Nonjaror.  Ci- 
cero knew  no  better.  Admitting,  that  neither 
Water  nor  Length  of  Time  will  ivafi  away 
Sin,  yet  it  muft  be  confefs'd,  that  they'll  do 
more,  that  is,  they'll  prevent  it.  They'll  pre- 
vent the  crying  Sin  of  premeditated 

Murder ,  by  wafhing  away  the  Charms  of  an* 
tiquated  Maids  and  Faces !  Return  we  then 
to  our  Author.  "  Confecration  doth  not'* 

L  2  faith 


(a)  Cat.    p.  92. 

(b)  Animi  Lakes  nee  DiuturnitatC  ncc  Manibus  ullis  elui  poteR, 

Ci(.  de  Leg.  Lib,  *» 


faith  he,     "  change    the  Sub/lance,    but  the 
M  Qualities  of  Water."     Whence  comes  it  to 
pafs,     that  he   doth  not   confecrate  away    the 
EJJence,  or  which  is  the  fame,  the  Subftance  of 
Water,    as  well  as  confecrate  away  the  Ej'ence 
and  Subftance  of  Oyl  ?    Is  there  any  greater 
Difficulty  or  Abfurdity  in    doing  of  the    for- 
mer,   than    there   is   in  doing  of  the  latter  ? 
But  what  means  the  Catecbi/t  by    Conjccrati- 
cn's  changing    only   the  Dualities  of  Water  ? 
Will  it  make  that  hard,  which  was  foft  before  ? 
Give  that  a  clear  chriftalline  Hue,    which  was 
dark  and  dufkifli  before  ?    Or  make  that  frefh 
and  fweet,  which  was  briny  and  rancid. before? 
Or,  doth  Confecration  give  it  fome  myfterious 
Divine  Quality,  whereby  like  the  Philofopher's 
Stone,  it  tranfmutes  every  Thing  it  touches  in- 
to Gold  ?  —  It  fhould  feem  fo  by  what  fol- 
lows ;  for  after  the  Water  has  been  confecrated, 
or  which  I  take  to  be  the  fame,  fanttijy'd  by 
the  Priefly    that  it  may  be    thoroughly  purged 
zr\&  fublimatedy    "  the  Holy  Ghoft  immediate- 
"  ly  defcends  from   Heaven,    and  retting  up- 
"  on  it,    fanclifies  it  himfelf ;    and  it  being  fq 
"  fandlified,"  twice  over!    firft  by  the  Prieft^ 
to  whom  we  ought  to  give  the  Precedence  be 
furc,    and  next   by   the    Holy    Gboft> 


La  «  it 


(85) 

"  it  imbibts  the  Power  of  fanftifying.  (a)  1$ 
not  this  Myftery  in  the  Superlative  ?  What 
Pleasure  would  it  give  me  to  meet  with  fbrne 
My  fie  Divinity  Decipherer,  that  could  explain 
^—  what  is  couch' d  under  fuch  Ecclefia/licnl 
Riddles  !  But  thefe  Things  are  to  be  under* 
flood  only  by  the  Affembly  of  the  Faithful!  (b) 
They  are  too  facfed  for  the  profane  Vulgar 
to  pry  into. 

Odi  prcfafium  Vulgus  &  arceo, 

Thus  much,  fays  our  learned  Author,  for  the 
Ceremonies  preceding  Baptifm.  Enough  of  all 
Confcience,  unlefs  he  could  have  furniihed  us 
with  fomcthing  better.  Next  for  Baptifm  it* 
felf. 

Adult  Perfons  have  no  Right  to  call  God 
their  Father  according  to  our  learned  Author , 
till  they  are  baptized,  (c)  That  is,  God  dare 
not  recognize  them  as  bis  Children^  till  the 
Prieft  grants  him  a  ^Toleration,  or  Letter  of 
Licenfe  fo  to  do.  They  are  none  of  God's 
Children,  till  the  Prieft  who  is  God's  Repre- 

Jentati've 


(a)  Confecration  works  a  Change,    tho'  not  ift  its  , 
yet   in  its  Qiralities  and  Powers,    for  th«  Italy  Spirit  immediate- 
ly defcends   from  Heaven,    and  reiling  npon  it,  fanftifies  it   by 
himfelf,  and  it  being  fo  fandified,    imbibes  the  Power  of  fane- 
tifying.                                                                           Cat.  p.   232. 

(b)  This  is    one    Part  of   our  Author'*    Definition  of   bis 
Church.  Cat,  p     47. 

(0    Till  Perfons  are  baptized,    they  are  not  allowed  to  call 
Cod  their  Father,  Cat.  p.  233. 


(86) 

fintative,  adopts  them  into  a  State  of  Sonflrip. 
'Tis  he  that  authorizes  and  commijfions  God  to 
receive  them  !  Our  learned  Author  feems  upon 
this  Head  to  be  either  afraid,  or  ajhamed  of 
fpeaking  his  Sentiments  freely.  From  his 
Manner  of  Expreffion,  One  would  fufpect  that 
he  is  inclined  to  purfue  the  fame  Track  of 
Thinking  with  his  Brother  Nonjuror,  the  tru- 
ly learned  Mr.  Dodwell.  That  learned  En- 
thufiafl  fpeaks  out  honeftly  and  plainly.  His 
Notion  is  this,  that  the  Soul  of  Man  is  nafu- 
rally  mortal,  but  that  it  is  immortaKz'A  by 
Baptifm  adminiftrcd  by  Priefts  or  Biiliops, 
and  by  fuch  Priefts  or  Bifoops  only,  as  can 
boafl  of  a  lineal,  uninterrupted  Succejfion  from 
Chrift  and  his  Apoftles.  Thofe  who  are  not 
fo  happy  as  to  be  baptized  by  thefe  Givers  of 
Life  and  Immortality  are  a  Herd  of  heretical 
Beads  that  perifi.  Unlefs  this  be  your  learned 
Friend's  Opinion,  I  cannot  account  for  it  upon 
what  Principle  it  is,  that  he  allows  none  but 
fuch  as  are  baptized,  to  fay  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
or  to  addrefs  God  as  their  Father.  Auftin  one 
of  this  Gentleman  s  fainted  Fathers,  afTerts 

roundly, it  would  edify  me  much  to  hear 

our  learned  Author  do  the  fame,  that  if  a 
Child  die  in  the  Way  as  his  Parent  is  carry- 
ing him  to  receive  the  Adminiftration  of  Bap- 
tifm, that  Child  is  damn'd,  irremediably  damrfd 
for  ever !  (a)  But  whatever  be  the  Fate  of  the 

unbaptiz'd 

(a)  Father  Paul's  Counc.  of  Trent,  p.  239.'  ^ 


unbaptiz'd,  or  whatever  Portion  our  learned 
Catechift  may  out  of  his  great  Catholicifm  af- 
fign  them,  yet  we  are  aflur'd,  that  Baptifm 
adminiftred  by  a  Bifhop  or  Prieft,  that  is,  a 
Nonjuring  Prieft  or  Bi$op>  "  impreffes  a  Cha- 
"  rafter  which  can  never  be  done  away:  What- 
cc  ever  Crime  the  baptiz'd  Perfon  may  after- 
"  wards  commit,  it  will  be  always  true  to 
"  fay,  that  he  was  regenerated  and  confecrated 
<c  to  God  as  his  Child  by  Adoption,"  not  by 
Creation  you'll  obferve,  but  by  Prieftly  Adop- 
tion \  "  and  he  will  nsver  want  to  be  baptiz'd 
"  again,  in  order  to  obtain  Forgivenefs  of  his 
"  Sins,  and  be  reftor'd  to  God's  Favour.'*  (a) 
Rejoice  O  ye  Saints  of  Rome,  Rejoice  O  ye 
AJjembk  of  the  Faithful  at  Manchefler^  that  you 
are  in  PoiTeflion  of  fo  invaluable  and  unaliena- 
ble  a  Bleffing  !  Ye  Heretics  of  Britain  fee  what 
you  are  deprived  of  for  Want  of  being  the  Sons 
of  Superftition,  and  our  learned  Cafecbi/t's 
Church  !  The  Privileges  of  Baptifm  rightly  ad- 
miniftred,  are  never  to  be  loft  or  forfeited.  No! 
fays  the  ranting  Fanatic \  what  means  the  Con- 
fifient  Doctor \  when  he  fays,  "  the  Difcipline  of 
<c  the  Church  confifts  in  a  Power  to  deprive  us 
"  of  all  the  Benefits  apd  Privileges  of  Bap- 
"  tifm."  (bj  Are  the  Privileges  of  Baptifm 
fuch  as  never  can  be  done  away,  and  yet,  can 
the  Church  deprive  Men  of  all  thefe  Privileges 

which 

(a)  Cat.  p.  225,          (b)  Cat,  p.  Sa, 


(88) 

which  never  can  be  done  away  f  1  es,  but 

thefe  two  different  Tales  are  told  in  two  diffe- 
rent Pages.  If  a  Man's  Jugdment  be  /«« 

jallible,  it  doth  not  follow  from  thence  that  his 
Memory  fliould  be  fo  too.  But  allowing  thefc 
PafTages  to  be  contradictory,  if  the  Ghurch  re- 
quires us  to  believe  Contradictions,  furely  we 
ought  to  believe  them  !  Have  we  not  the  Tefti- 
mony  of  St.  Bellarmine,  as  able  a  Champion 
againft  Herejy,  as  our  Catechi/i  is  againft  the 
Devil-,  that  if  the  Pope  fliould  chance  to  err  in 
enjoyning  the  Practice  of  Vice  for  Virtue,  or 
forbidding  the  Practice  of  Virtue,  the  Church 
is  in  Confcience  bound  to  believe  Vice  to  be 
Virtue,  and  Virtue  to  be  Sin.  (a)  And  elfe- 
where  he  afferts  roundly,  that  Chrifl  gave  un- 
to Peter,  and  confequently  to  Peter's  SucceJJcrs^ 
full  Power  and  Authority  to  make  that  a  £/;/, 
which  is  no  Sin  ;  and  to  make  that  to  be  no 
Sin,  which  is  in  it's  own  Nature  Sinful,  (b) 
As  thefe  are,  a  Catholic  Churchman  s  Decisions, 

You  and  your  learned  Friend,  having  fuch 

Authority  on  your  Side,  will  undoubtedly  ex- 
pect me  to  believe,  that  the  Privileges  of  Bsp- 

tifm   are  unalienable,  and  that  thofe  una- 

Uenable  Privileges  the  Church  has  an  indifputa- 
ble  Power  to  alienate  and  take  away  from  whom 
(he  pleafes,  He  muft  be  a  Heretic  indeedr 


that 


(a)  Bellarm.  de  Rom.  Pontif.  Lib.  4.  c.  5. 
{b}  Bellarra.  Lib.  in  Barkl«un,  <;,   13. 


that  will  not  fubmit  to  fuch  Almighty  Convic- 
tion !  Would  not  a  little  Modefty  teach  us  to 
judge  as  King  James  the  firft  did,  on  a  fimilar 
Occafion,  when  he  heard  Council  plead  on  the 
two  oppofite  Sides  of  a  Queftion  ;  By  my  Sawl 
Man  they  are  both  in  the  Right  as  to  their 
Caufe,  and  take  Care  that  they  both  get  it. 

As  to  the  proper  Officers  to  adminifter  Bap- 
tlfm  :  Deacons  are  allow 'd  by  the  Gatechift  to 
baptize,  but  never  any  unhallowed  Laics.  Here 
our  learned  Author  improves  upon  the  Bigotry 
and  Superstition  of  his  Mother  Church  of  Rome ; 
for  in  Cafes  of  Neccfftty  (he  allows  the  Vali- 
dity of  Baptifm  adminiftred  by  unclean  Beafls  of 
all  Kinds  ;  by  Laymen,  Pagans,  Heretics,  and 
Mid  wives,  fa)  But  this  would,  in  our  Author's 
Eftcem,  derogate  too  much  from  the  Power 
and  Authority  of  God's  Representatives,  the 
Priefthood.  Our  learned  Catechifl  therefore, 
out  of  his  great  Zeal  for  the  Honour  of  God's 
Rcpre/entatives,  Chrift's  Vicars,  the  Prime 
Stewards  of  Gods  Revenues,  the  Chief  Maflers 
of  his  Houflold,  and  his  Almoners,  (b)  refcues 
this  Office  out  of  all  unfanctify'd  Hands ;  and 
reforms,  as  He  beyond  all  Queftion  fays,  but  J 
fhould  rather  fay  itnproves  upon^  the  Corrupti- 

M  ons 

(a)  Minifter  huj us  Sacrament!  eft  Sacerdos,  cui  ex  Officio  corf 
petit  baptizare.  In  Caufa  autem  Ncceflitatis,  non  folum  Sacer- 
dos, vel  Diaconus  fed  etiam  Laicus,  vel  Mulier,  imo  etiara  Pa- 
ganus  ct  Hsereticuj  baptizare  poteft.  U Abbf*  Cone.  Tom,  13. 
p.  535-  •  (b)Cat.p.  207. 


(9°) 

ons  of  his  holy  Mother the  Mother  of  Har- 
lots and  Abominations. 

It  may  not  be  improper  in  this  Place  to  take 
Notice  of  the  Enumeration  our  learned  Author 
makes,  of  the  different  Orders  of  Officers  in 

the  Tradition    Church  he  would  eftablifh. . 

There  are,  "  Bifbops,  Priefts,  Deacons,  and 
"  Subdeacons"  whofe  Province  it  is,  to  pre- 
pare the  Sacred  Veffels  and  Utenfils  of  the 
Altar,  and  deliver  them  to  the  Deacons,  but 
they  are  neither  allow'd  to  Minifter  c<  at  the 
*c  Altar  as  Deacons,  nor  even  to  come  within 
"  the  Rails  of  it,  to  fet  a  Paten,  a  Cup,  or 
<{  Oblations  of  the  People  thereon."  Next 
come  the  Readers,  the  Singers,  and  the  Door- 
keepers, (a)  In  fome  other  Churches,  faith 

he,  there  are  other  Orders ;  fuch  as  Catecbifis, 
Exorci/ls,  and  Acolythijls.  (b)  Thefe  Acolythifts 
appear  to  me  to  be  a  Kind  of  Ecclefia/Ucal 
Scullions,  whofe  Duty  it  is  to  carry  about  In- 
cenfe-Pots  and  Candlefticks,  to  light  Candles, 
Tapers,  &c.  Tonfure  and  ptfkobric  are  two 
Orders  more  which  fome  Canonifts  have  added, 
but  are  patted  over  in  Silence  by  our  Author. 
Tonfure  is  the  firft  Step  of  Admiffion  into 
Church  Dignities  and  Honours,  and  is  perform'd 
by  the  Bifhop's  clipping  either  the  Beard  or 
the  Hair,  and  blejjing  it  with  fome  Prayers  and 

Benedictions, 

(a)  Vid.  Spanhem  Hift.  Eccle.  p.  739.  Ct  Paflim, 

(b)  Cat,  £.  428. 


•      (9O 

Benedictions,  as  he  doth  the  Work.  The 

curious  Reader  may  find  in  Father  Paul's  Hi- 
ftory  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  fome  laboured 
Difquifitions,  whether  all  the  Holy  Orders  of 
the  Church  are  not  fo  many  Holy  Sacraments  ? 

to  which  I  refer  him,   . and  return  to 

our  learned  Author.  The  Council  of  Conflan- 
tinople,  if  I  remember  right,  prohibits  any  one 
being  put  in  PofTefTion  of  the  Epifcopate,  with- 
out afcending  gradually  thro'  all  the  federal  Or- 
ders, till  at  Lift  he  arrives  at  the  Mitre.  Our 

learned  Author,   Tradition    avers     it,    is 

cloathed  either  with  Epifcopal  or  Archiepifcopal 
Honours.  I  mould  be  glad  Sir,  to  be  in- 
ftructed,  whether  he  arofe  Step  by  Step  from 
the  lowefi  Order,  that  of  an  Eccle/iaflical  Scul- 
lion ?  I  am  fo  far  from  intending  to  eclipfe  his 
Merit,  by  putting  the  Queftion,  that  I  rather 
think  if  that  be  the  Cafe,  it  gives  his  Reputa- 
tion a  fuperior  Dignity  and  Luftre.  They 
make  the  beft  Commanding  Officers,  whether  it 
be  in  the  War  againft  his  Friends  the  French, 
or  againft  his  E?2emy  the  Devil,  who  are  gra- 
dually rais'd  by  Dint  of  Merit,  from  the  lowe/t 
Ranks,  to  the  highejl  Military  Promotions.  If 
our  Author  has  fuch  a  Progreffion  of  Services 
and  Characters  to  value  himfelf  upon,  I  congra- 
tulate him  upon  the  Honour  it  doth  him,  and 
queftion  not  but  he  was  as  exemplary  in  the 

M  2  Capacity 


(9*) 

Opacity  of  a  Church  Scullion^  as  he  is  in  that 
of  a  El  (hop. 

But  there  are  another  Species  of  Church 
Officers  mention'd  by  our  learned  Author,  that 
is  IPeacpntffes.  Concerning  thefe,  I  am  folli- 
citous  to  learn,  whether  they  too,  like  Bi/hops 
and  Priefts,  are  to  defcend  in  the  right  Line  of 
Succeffion  ?  If  not,  whence  derive  they  their 
Extraction  ?  But  I  aft  Pardon ;  I  recoiled  my- 

felf Thefe,  efpecially  if   they  be  fair  and 

pretty  ones,  mufl  needs  be  — ~-  the  Angels  of 
his  Churches ! 

Having  glanc'd  at  the  different  Officers  of 
our  Author's  Catholic  Church,  return  we  to 

reconfider  it's  Sacraments. Befides  the  two 

which  Proteftants  acknowledge  as  inftituted  by 
Chrift,  your  learned  friend's  Church  has  in- 
ftituted  ten  more  ;  and  indeed  upon  the  fame 
Footing  it  might  have  inftituted  ten  Times  as 
many,  nay,  ten  tiooufand  Times  ten  more  !  One 
would  wonder  that  fo  folemn  an  Admirer  of 
the  fathers^  doth  not  with  St.  Bernard,  and 
St.  Auftin^  make  the  wafting  of  his  Feet  into  a 
Sacrament  :  (b)  Tho'  indeed  amidft  all  his 
Zeal  for  Hieroglyphic  Piety,  he  would  be  at  a 
Lofs  to  inftrudt  us,  what  wafiiing  of  Feet 

fhould  be  a  Sign  of,  unlefs  it  be  a    Sign  

that  they  want    it.      But  the    Sacraments   he 

I       has 

(a)  Father  Paul's  Hift.  of  Council  of  Trent,  p.  234. 


(93) 

has  given  us,    you  are  to  look  upon  as  fo  many. 
EC clefiaftical  Conduit  Pipes,  that  cc  convey  Grace 
"  to  us."    (a.)  Which    are    they?  Exorcifm  ; 
anointing  with  Oyl  j  the  White  Garment ;  a  ¥afte 
of  Milk  and  Homy  ;  anointing  'with    Cbrylm  or 
Oyntment-,  the   Sign  of  the  Crofs  j  Impofition  of 
Jlands ;  Unffiion  of  the  Sick  j  Holy  Orders  ;  and 
Matrimony,  (b)  Excrciftn,    as  obferv'd  before,. 
drives  or  fires  away  the  Devil.     Anointing  <witb 
holy  Oyl  makes  the  Saint  fupple  and  fleek,  that 
the  Devil  cannot  grafp  him   in   his    Clutches. 
The  White  Garment  reprefents  baptifmal  Rege- 
neration.      Milk   and  Honey  is   good  Ipiritual 
Diet.     Confirmation  is  a  Deed  of  Gift,  where- 
by   the   Bifiop    (or  in    Cafe  of  Neccflity   the 
Prieft)  makes  you  a  Conveyance  of  the    Holy 
Gbofl.     "  He  enters  into  the  Perfons  confinn'd, 
"  dwells  with  them,  and  becomes  the  Soul  of 
"  their  Soul."    (c)  Chrijm  or  Oyntment  fignifies 
an   internal    Undtion    perform'd   upon  you  by 
the  Holy  Ghofl.     The  Ufe  of  the  Sign  of  the 
Crofs  is,  <c  that  the  Devils  upon  feeing  that  royal 
"   Sign,  fly  trembling  away."   (d)  Impofition  of 
Hands  is  bleffing  you  by  Divine  Authority,  (e) 
Untfion   of  the   Sick  is   for  the   Recovery   of 
Health,  and  for  Strength  to  out -cudgel  tiie  De- 
vil.    (f)  Holy  Orders  furniiheth  "  Jpiritual  Fa* 
"  thers   for  the   Church,"  (g)  and  fometimes 

natural 


(a)  Cat.  p.  69.  (b)  Cat.  p.  69.  70.  (c)  Cat.  p.  73, 
(d)  Cat.  p.  418.  (e)  Cat,  p.  421,  (f)  Cat.  p.  422. 
(g)  Cat.  p,  123. 


(94) 

'natural  ones  too!  Matrimony  makes  up  the 
Rear  in  this  fpiriiual  Militia ,  rais'd  to  wage 
War  with  the  Devil.  But  tho'  this  Sacrament  in 
common  with  the  reft  conveys  Grace  into  us  j  yet 
as  to  the  Grace  it  conveys,  according  to  our 
learned  Author,  we  had  better  'want  than  have 
it !  For  c<  Matrimony"  fays  our  Catechift, 
€<  like  Silver  is  good,  but  Continence  like  Gold 
<c  is  better."  (a)  However  tho'  this  be  your 
learned  Friend's  Doctrine  of  Perfection,  (b)  yet 
St.  Paid  calls  it,  was  he  not  low- bred  think 
you  for  doing  fo  ?  —  the  Doctrine  of  Devils. 

In  our  Engli/h  Ecclefiaftical  Hiftory,  we 
read  of  St.  Dunftan  the  great  Patron  of  Mon- 
kery and  Superftition,  caufmg  the  following  Mi- 
racle to  be  wrought  for  the  difcountenancing 
of  Marriage  amongft  the  Clergy.  In  a  Coun-> 
cil  held  at  Winchefler  about  974,  the  Debates 
ran  high  between  \hzfecular  Prtefts  that  mar- 
ried and  left  their  Eftates  to  their  legitimate 
Iflue,  and  the  Monks,  good  Men  !  who  re- 
nounced Marriage  for  the  Good  of  their  Souls 
and  the  Church,  and  judg'd  it  a  higher  Degree 
of  Perfection  to  debauch  other  Men's  Wives, 
than  to  have  Wives  of  their  own.  The  fecular 
Priefts  urg'd  fuch  Arguments  in  Favour  of  the 
Marriage  of  Ecclefiaftics,  as  had  well  nigh  de- 
termined the  Council  to  ratify  and  confirm 

them. 


(a)  Cat.  p.  433."       Cat,  p.  222? 


(95) 

them.  To  prevent  which,  Dun/I  an  t  Saint  as 
he  was,  had  plac'd  a  proper  Perfon  on  the 
Roof  of  the  Hall  where  the  AfTembly  met ; 
who  being  himfelf  invijible,  cried  out  loudly 
thro'  a  Hole.—-  Non  bene  fentlunt  qui  Prejby- 
teris  Javent.  They  are  not  Orthodox  in  the 
Faith,  who  favour  the  Marriage  of  the  Clergy. 
Hereupon  the  Monks  cried  out  a  Miracle!  a 
Miracle !  and  declar'd  that  nothing  more  was 
necelliry  to  determine  the  Affair,  fince  it  was 
thus  decided  by  the  Voice  of  an  Angel  from 
Heaven  !  (a) 

The  Reader  will  perhaps  enquire,  what  is 
the  Policy  of  the  Church  of  Rome  and  her 
Daughter  ^Churches,  fuch  as  our  Author's;  to 
prefer  a  State  of  Celibacy  to  Marriage.  The 
Reafon  is  obvious  ; Marriage  would  alie- 
nate the  Affections  of  Ecclefiafiics  from  the 
Church  and  their  Concubines  j  and  fix  them  on 
their  Wives  and  Offspring.  At  the  Council  of 
Trent  it  was  pleaded,  that  Marriage  would  de- 
ftroy  the  Hierarchy  y  prove  fatal  to  the  Pope's 
Authority,  and  that  inilead  of  Univer/al  Bifiop, 
he  would  come  to  be  only  a  mere  Bijbop  of 
Rome,  (b) 

Be  fides 


(a)  EmiJlianes  Monaft.    Vid.  Preface. 

(b)  father  Paul'a  Hift.  p.   460,  and  680. 


Betides,  if  the  Church  can  fir/I  rob  the  Laity 
of  their  Under  ft  andings^    by    impofing  unnatu- 
ral Vows  of  Continence  upon  them,    this  is  the 
fure  Way  in    the    next  Place  to  rob  them   of 
their    Eftates.     If  Men   have   no  Families   of 
their  own  to  provide  for,  whom  (hall  they  be- 
queath their  Subftance   to,    but  to    God?  And 
who   (hall   be   deputed   to  receive  it  for  God, 
but  the  Prieftsy  who  are  Chrift's  Vicars>  God's 
Reprejentatives,  the   Prime  Stewards  of  his  Re- 
•uenues,  the  Chief  Maflers  of,  his   Houfkold,  and 
his  Almoners.     I  need    only    exemplify   this  in 
the  Cafe  of  the  Saint,  that  is,  One  of  the  Saints 
of  Rome,  laft  mention'd  above.     A  certain  La- 
dy, who  by  the  Bye,  feem'd  to  have  been  link- 
ed to  St.  Dunftan,  by  fome  other   Bonds    than 
thofe  of  Spiritual  Affection,    advis'd  with  him 
what    would  be    the  beft  Difpofition  {lie  could 
make  of  her  Eflate,  to  pious  Ufes  ?  The  Saint 
recommends  it  to    her,  to   leave    it   to   yejus 
Chrift,  and  to  make  him   Chrift's  Executor.    It 
was  accordingly  fettled,  and   Jefus   Chrift  not 
putting  in  his  Claim,  the  Executor  carry'd    off 

all.  . If  Matrimony  contributes  to  obftruct 

fuch  Donations  to  the  Church,  what  good  Ca- 
tholic, that  has  the  Intereft  of  God's  Reprejen- 
tati'ves  at  Heart,  can  approve  of  the  Infiitu- 
tion  ?  Allowing  Marriage  as  a  Sacrament ',  doth 
bring  in  fome  Silver  to  your  Fricjxfs  Church  ; 

vet 


(97 

yet  Celibacy,  I'll    not  fay  Continency,    brings 
in  much  Gold>  which  is  certainly  better* 

A  Writer  of  great  Reputation  gives  us  a  very 
remarkable  Inftance,  and  Hiftory  would  furniih 
us  with  ten  thoufand  more,  of  the  Fruits  of 
prieftly  Celibacy.  In  1689  a  Ghoft  haunted  the 
Convent  of  the  Monks  of  St.  Anthony,  in  the 
City  of  MarfeilUs.  This  Ghoft  prov'd  to  be  of 
a  very  martial  Spirit  ;  knock'd  down  every 
Thing  that  flood  in  his  Way,  and  bailinadoM 
every  Pcrfon  that  was  fo  unhappy  as  to  meet 
him.  If  a  Monk  ftraggted  out  of  his  Cell  at 
Night,  the  'vigilant  Ghoft  Was  fure  to  find  him 
out,  and  as  fare  decently  to  chaflife  him  for  it. 
In  (hort,  he  dealt  Blows  and  Terrors  very  plen- 
tifully around  him.  By  his  Rcfentment  of  all 

nocturnal  Perambulations but  his  own,     He 

was  concluded  to  be  the  Ghoft  of  their  dtceafed 
Prior-,  aG^J/?ofgreat  Dignity  and  Diftinc- 
tion  \  Mafles  were  faid  to  be  deliver'd  from 
his  unwelcome  Vifits  j  and  a  large  Reward  of- 
fered to  any  one  who  durft  accoft  him  and  eil- 
quire  what  important  Errand  he  came  upon,  of 
what  important  Commiffion  he  was  to  execute  1 
The  Print  of  the  Spirit's  Hand  was  difcovered 
on  a  Wall.  Nothing  but  the  Ghoft  now  en- 
groffed  all  Attention.  Every  Mouth  was  open 
with  the  Talk  of  him  by  Day  j  arid  upon  the 
Approach  of  Night  every  Door  \vv&fkut  for  fear 
of  an  Interview  with  him.  Cue  Evening  fome 
Chairmen  in  the  Suburbs  of  the  Convent  being 

N  .(urpriz'3 


(98) 

by  a  violent  Shower,  carried  the  Chaif 
within  the  Gates  of  the  Monaftery^    and  placed 
themfelves  with  it  under  a  Portico,  for  Sanctuary 
from  the  Weather,     One   of  the  Men  having 
feated  himfelf  in  the  Chair  fell  sfleep  in  it,  and 
never  awoke  till  Midnight.     The  Gates  being 
(hut,    inftead  of  giving  the  holy  Fathers  any  uri- 
feafonable  Difturbance,  he  determin'd    to  con- 
tinue where  he  was,  and  wait  till  the  Return  of 
^/lorning  (hould  bring  him  a  Return  of  his  Free- 
dom with  it.     Anon  the  Ghoft  having  opened 
the  Gate  with  a  Key,    advances    forward   in  a 
long  fweeping   black  Train,  walking  to  and  fro, 
as  you  know  Sir,  Ghofts  do,  and  cough'd  very 
foftly.  The  Chairman,  before  hand  poffefs'd  with 
the  Thoughts,  was  now  alarm'd  much  more  at 
the  Sight  of  the  Apparition  -,  opprefs'd  with  Fear, 
he  kept  folemn  Silence  !    Prefently  a  Monk  ap- 
pears at  the  Window,  and  with  a  gentle  Voice 
a  fits  are  you  there  ?    Yes,  anfwers  the    Ghoft , 
throw  down  the  Rope.     You  have  ftaid  very 
long,    replies  the  Father ;    and  letting  down  a 
Ladder  of  Ropes,  the  Spirit  got  into  the  Con- 
•uent)  and  in  three  Hours    Time    return'd  the 
fame  Way.     This  Difcovery  being  made,    the 
whole  Farce  was   unravell'd.     The  Monk,  and 
his  Courtezan  acting  in  Concert,  was  the  Ghofl 
that  haunted  the  Place  ;  and  the  Terrors  he  had 
fpread,  was  only  a  Scheme  form'd  to  keep  e- 
very  Body  within  Doors,  and  prevent  his  re- 
ceiving any  Dijlurbance  or  Interruption  in  his 

Pleafures. 


.(99) 

Pleafures.  Hereupon  it  grew  into  a.  proverbial 
Phrafe  at  Mar/eiilest  when  they  would  ibften  the 
Name  of  a  common  Proftitutc,  to  call  her  St. 
Anthony's  Ghoft.  (a) 

Should  it  be  afk'd  upon  fuch  an  Occafion  as 
this,  what  is  it  that  denominates  a  Perfon  a 
common  Proftitute  ?  A  learned  GloJJator  upon 
the  Cannon  Law  anfwers,  No  Woman,  till  Ihe 
nas  beftow'd  her  Favours  upon  more  than  three 
and  twenty  thoufand  Men,  demerits  the  Appel- 
lation of  a  IPhore.  (b)  Would  not  a  Proieflant% 
look  upon  a  lefs  notorious  Proftitute  than  this, 
to  be  like  your  Friend's  Church,  a  truly  Catho- 
lic Harlot?  But  you'll  tell  me,  Proteflants 
Principles,  are  much  too  fever e  for  their  Mo- 
rals. Let  Proteftants  blum  for  the  future  at 
their  giving  Perfons  infamous  Names,  only  be- 
caufe  they  have  not  committed  a  Rape  upon 
Nature.  Let  Prrtejlants  learn,  that  there  may 
be  Chaflity  in  Stews  ;  and  to  their  Confufion, 
let  them  confefs,  that  there  is  Charity  for  all 
Sinners,  but  thofe  who  lin  againft  the  Prieft> 
at  Rome.  But  to  return  from  this  Digreffion. 

Remarkable  is  the  Spirit  of  the  Biftayans  in 
the  Kingdom  of  Spain.     They'll  not  tolerate 

N  2  any 

(a)  Dugout's  Voyage  to  the  Levant,  p.  96.  7. 

(b)  Meretrix  eft,  qu»  admifcrit  plures,  quam  Vigentl  tria  ho-' 
minum  Millia, 

D^cret,  Diftinft.  34.  c.  4,' 


(  100  ) 

fcny  Priefl  to  live  in  their  Villages  unlefs  he 
brings  his  Concubine  to  refide  with  him.  The 
Reafon  of  it  is,  becaufe  they  apprehend,  that 
Without  fuch  a  Precaution,  their  Wives  are  in, 
imminent  Danger  of  being  ravifi'd  by  Ecclejia- 
Jiical  Enchantment  /  (a) 

Before  I  difmifs  the  Sacrament  of  Matrimo^ 
fly  ;  —  I  would  add,  that  if  your  learned  Friend 
appears  any  more  upon  this  Subied:,  it  would 
oblige  me  to  receive  from  his  Hands  an  Account 
of  the  whole  Prpcefs  of  the  Prieft's  blejjmg  and 
confeprating  the  Wedding-Sheets  previous  to  the 
Cpnfummatjon  of  Marriage,  which  is  a  Rite 
pradtis'd  by  his  Mother  Church  of  Rome.  This 
Account  muft  be  extremely  edifying  and  in- 
ftrucTiive.  What  a  fuperior  Relim  muft  it  give 
to  every  foft  Enjoyment,  to  have  the  very  nup- 
tial Sheets  hallow'd  by  God's  Reprejentativc 
for  their  proper  Service  ? 

Confejion  is  another  Chapter  in  your  learned 
friends  new  Gojpel,  which  he  reads  to  his  .D//C 
ciples  with  great  Solemnity  and  Devotion  ;  un- 
der this  Head  our  Author  might  have  inform'd 
us,  that  it  has  been  a  common  Practice  in  the 
Church  of  Rome ,  when  Women  or  Boys  at  their 
facramental  Devotions  have  confefs'd  their  ha-* 
ying  been  engag'd  in  Scenes  of  Gallantry -,  or  in 


(a)  HtyJins  Cqfinog.  p.  t\q.l 


(lor) 

lewd  unnatural  Intrigues,  for  the  Prieft  Confeffbr 

to  addrefs  them  •  fince  you  have  beftow'd 

fuch  Favours  upon  others,  beftow  the  fame  up- 
on me.  Pope  Pius  the  Fourth  publim'd  a 
Bull  againft  this  Practice.  So  Catholic  it  feems. 
was  the  Practice  grown,  Pope  Gregory  the  Fif- 
teenth publilh'd  another  upon  the  fame  Occa- 
fion.  (a)  In  Confequence  of  that  exhibited  by 
Pope  PiuSy  in  Spain  all  Wives  and  Women 
were  firstly  enjoin'd  to  difcover  before  the  holy 
Tribunal  within  thirty  Days  after  the  faid  In- 
junction, all  fuch  Priefts  as  had  thus  proftituted 
and  profaned  the  facramental  Confeffions.  The 
fevereft  Cenfures  and  Anathema's  were  pronoun- 
ced againft  fuch  as  refufed  a  Difcovery.  This 
work'd  upon  Super/lit  ion  fo  far,  as  to  bring  in 
fuch  Crowds  to  give  Evidence  againft  the  Father 

a 

Confeffors,  that  twenty  Secretaries  and  as  many 
Inquifitors  appointed  to  take  Depofuions  were 
too  few  for  the  Purpofe.  Hereupon  the  Lords 
Inquifitors  allow 'd  thirty  Days  more  for  receiving 
and  regiftering  Convictions  j  and  when  thofe 
Days  were  expir'd,  they  found  it  nectflury  a 
third  and  a  fourth  Time  to  repeat  the  Line  In- 
dulgence. This  was  done  that  Perlbn?  of  better 
Figure  might  fteal  an  Opportunity  to  confefs 
without  the  Knowledge  of  their  Hufbands,  and 

^ 

without  routing  their  Jealoufy,  in  which  how- 
ever they  very  feldom  tucceeded.  But  after  fuch 

Numbers 


(a)  Contra  Sollicitantcs  in  Confefiiont. 


(I02> 

Numben  of  ConvictioQS  regularly  receiv'd,  and 
legally  fupported,  when  Judgment  was  expected 
to  have  been  iffued  out  by  the  holy  Tribunal, 
the  whole  Affair  Was  qua(ftdt  and  never  exa- 
min'd  into,  never  heard  of  any  more,  (a) 

To  make  Gain  of  Godlinefs,  feems  to  be 
the  main  Drift  and  Defign  of  our  learn  ed  Ca- 
ttcbifts  Scheme.  Only  it  would  not  have  com- 
ported with  that  View,  other  wile  he  might 

likewife  have  inform' d'    us,  that   in  the 

qtb  Century >  a  Lady  of  Diftinction,  a  noble 
Matron  Sozomon  calls  her,  (b)  wickedly  or  weak- 
b  confefs'd  an  Intrigue  that  had  pafs'd  between 
/  arf'.  -Ecc lefiaftic  and  herfelf,  which  was  not  a 
proper  Subject  of  Confeffion.  This  Intrigue 
becoming  public,  Oh  !  fatal  Confeffion  /  gave 
great  Umbrage  to  poor  unfanctify'd  Laymen  ! 
It  was  thereupon  adjudg'd  inexpedient y  that  the 
Liberty  of  privately  confeffing  Sins  before  the 
Sacrament,  which  might  bring  fuch  Reproach 
upon  God's  Reprefentatives,  mould  be  any 
longer  tolerated  in  the  Church.  Nor  do  I  find 
any  Traces  thereof  in  the  Greek  Churches 
fmce;  nor  indeed  doth  our  learned  Author 
plead  for  fuch  Sacramental  Confeflions.  But 
the  Proteftant  Reader  will  afk,  is  it  not  enough 
for  the  Sinner  to  confefs  to  God?  For  the  Sick 
Perfon  to  reprefent  his  Cafe,  to  the  fupreme 

and 


(a)  C&aW/^'s  Hifl.  of  Perfectt,  p,  215, 

(b)  Sewn.  Lib,  7.  c.  16. 


and   Sovereign   Pbypcian?  and   to  him 

.  Our  learned  .Author  will  anfwer,  —  by 

no  means.     As  in  our  Courts  of  Juliice,  being 
acquitted  by   the   Judge,  will  not  rclcafe  the 
Perfon  arraign'd,  till  he  has  difcharg'd  the  Fees 
of  the  Jay/or  -,    fo  conferTing  to  God  {hall  not 
fave    you,    unlefs  you  humbly  and  penitently 
confefs  to  the  fried  who  is  God's  Representative  / 
And  who  would  part   with  fueh  an  invaluable 
fpiritual  Prerogative,  as    that  of  knowing  the 
Secrets  of  every  Family  and  every  Soul  in  a  Pa-* 
rifh  ?  When  once  God's  Reprefentative,  the  Prieft, 
is  in  Poffeffion  of  Mens  Confidences.,  one  Step 
more,  and  that  but  a  fhort  one,  puts   him  in 
Pofleffion   of  their   Honour,  their  Virtue,  their 
Reputations,  their  E/lates,  their  Fortunes,  their 
Bodies,  and  their  Souls  all  together :  When  EC- 
clefiailical  Prerogative  runs  lo  high,  and  common, 
Senfe  ebbs  fo  low  as  to  fubmit  to  fuch  Ufurpa- 
tions,  it  doth  by  no  Means  iurprize  me  to  lee 
your  learned  Friend  all  Extacy  and  Trantport  ! 
"  To  caft   out  the  Devil  of  Luft,  or  to   throw 
"  down  the   Pride  of  Lucifer,  to   beat  down 
"  Satan  under  our  Feet,  or   to  triumph  over 
"  our  fpiritual  Enemies,  to  cure  a  difeas'd  Soul, 
"  or  to  keep  unharm'd  from  the  Affault  of  a 
<c  Temptation  or  the   Infection  of  an  ill   E\* 
"  ample,"     by  which   he  means  no  more  th 
to  make  Men  fuperftitious  Fools  and  Bigots,  to 
prevail  upon  them  to  renounce  their   Realba 


and  Underftanding,   and  to  devote   themfelves 

without  Referve  to  the  Will  of  the  Priefl, 

the  Power  to  do  thefe  Things  faith  our  learned 
Author,  "  is  much  more  advantageous  and  be- 
"  neficial  to  us,  that  is  the  Priefts,  than  the 
"  Power  of  working  the  greateft  Miracles."  (a) 
Well  fpoken  Priefl !  So  it  is !  By  this  Craft  wf 
get  our  Wealth,  and  our  Devotees  loje  their 
Senfes.  Pliny  tells  us,  and  'tis  probable  he  wrote 
only  the  Language  of  Tradition,  that  if  a  Man 
be  wounded  by  a  Scorpion,  going  forthwith  and 
whifpering  in  an  Afs*s  Ear,  will  relieve  his  Pain, 
mitigate  his  Anguifh,  and  heal  his  Wound,  (b) 
Now,  as  your  learned  Friend  delights  much  in 
Symbolical  Reprefentations,  is  not  this  a  beauti- 
ful Symbolical  Image  of  Confeffion  to  the  Prieft  ? 
Is  the  Poifon  of  Vice  more  deadly  than  that  of 
the  Scorpion  ?  What  is  to  be  done,  but  to  have 

immediate  Recourfe  to an   Ajs  if  you  can 

find  one  for  your  ghoftly  Doctor  ?  Whifper  in  the 
Ear  of  an  Eccleftaflical  Afs,  the  Wound  is  heal- 
ed, and  the  Work  is  done  i 

Well,    Confeffion  being  made Your  Sins 

rated  according  to  the  current  Price  they  bear  in 
Rome's  Difpenfation- Market,  and  all  your  Jpiri- 
tual  Debt*  being  honeftly  difcharged  to  the 
Prieft,  Abfolution  follows  of  Courie.  '«  For- 


46  givenefs 


(a)  Cat.  p.  236. 

(b)  Nat.  Hift.  Lib,  28,  c,  ro. 


105 


"  givencfs  of  Sins,"  faith  our  learned  Divinity* 
Fatfor,    "  is    to    be  obtain'd    in  the   Catholic 
"  Church,    by   the   Miniftry   of    Bifhops    and 
"  Priefts,  who  are  authored  Mediators  and  In* 
"  tercej/ors  under  Chrift  for  Men,"  (a)  Journey- 
men Saviours  Sir,  if  you  pleafe  J     "  They  arc 
Cf  Subftitutes    and    Vicegerents,    binding    and 
f<  loofeing,  opening  and  (hutting  with  the  Keys 
<c  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,"  and   the  beft 
comes  laft,    "  their  Sentence  is  a   prejudging 
"  Forerunner  of  the  Sentence  to  be  paft  on  the 
<c  laft  Day."   (b)     Here  you  fee  a  Man's  eter- 
nal   Doom  fix'd,  — —  by  whom?     By  God? 
No.     But  'tis  all  the  fame,  by  the  Prieft,  (jjpd's 
Reprefentative  !  God  is  no  more  than  an  humble 
Executioner   of  the  Sentence  which  his   Reprc-* 
fentative  denounceth.     The  Prieft,  whatever  he 
be  in  Name,  is  in  Authority  and  Power  the  fu» 
preme   God  and  fupreme  Judge.     His  Voice  is 
a    "  prejudging  Forerunner  of  the  Sentence   of 
"  the  laft  Day."     If  the  Prieft  condemn,  {hall 
God  juftify  ;  or  if  the  Prieft  acquit,  mall  God 
condemn  ?    Who  then  dare  affront  a  Prieft,  that 
has  the  Keys  of  Heaven  and  Hell  at  his  Girdle  ? 
Ye   Generation    of   Nonjurors,    Generation    of 

•wife  Men  fliall  I  call  you  ?  When  you  hear 

your  Prieft  fay,  Let  us  bow  down  and  wor- 
fhip,  before  the  Lord  QUX  Judge  !  Our  Salvation 
hangs  on  his  facred  Lips !  Let  us  ftand  in  Awe 
and  tremble  before  him  ! 

O  This 

(a)  Cat.  p.  165,  (b)  Cat,  p.  85, 


(io6) 

This  Doctrine  of  Autboritaftw  prieftly  Abfo- 
lution,  is  fuch  an  Infult  upon  Common  Senfc, 
as  well  as  daring  Impiety  and  Irreligion,  that 
even  wife  and  virtuous  Heathens  have  treated 
it  with  fovereign  Contempt  and  Abhorrence  ! 
Attilius  ReguluSy  the  Roman  Conful,  having 
been  defeated  by  the  Carthaginians  and  taken 
Prifoner  in  Battle,  was  fent  to  carry  Offers  of 
Peace  to  the  Romans,  having  firfl  been  folemn- 
ly  fworn  to  return  to  the  Enemy's  Camp,  in 
Cafe  thefc  Offers  were  rejected.  The  Over- 
tures he  was  fent  with,  being  accordingly 
rejected,  the  Roman  High-Priefts  urg'd  him  to 
violhte  his  Oath,  and  offer'd  to  abfohc  him 
from  the  Guilt  of  Perjury.  But  how  doth  he 
refent  the  Motion  ?  He  receives  it  with  Indig- 
nation, and  rejects  it  with  Difdain.  (a)  This 
furely  he  woulid  never  have  done,  had  he  con- 
ceived them  to  have  been,  what  our  Author 
in  his  new  Go/pel  reveals  them  to  be  — 
inverted  with  Power  to  forgive  all  Sin,  but  the 
Sin  of  -  deriding  the  Prieft  and  fcoffing  at 
Cod's  Reprefentative,  for  forming  fuch  injolent 
and  ujurping  Claims  ! 

Your  good  Friendy  I  am  too  much  in  Earn- 
eft  to  call  him  your  learned  Friend  any  longer, 
will  plead  that  Fathers  and  Councils  are  on  his 
Side.  Juft  fo,  have  I  known  a  Tyburn  Con- 


(a)  Suppl.  Livy.  Dec,  ii.  L,  18,  c,  62^   HOT.  Lib.  3.  Od.  5. 


(io7) 

feffor  plead  that  Alexander  and  Cefar  were  as 
great  Robbers  as  he  !  However  the  Truth  of 
the  Fatt  is  granted !  The  Council  of  Trent 
pronounces  a  folemn  Anathema,  upon  fuch  as 
deny  the  facramental  Abfolution  of  the  Prieft 
to  be  z  judicial  Act.  And  yet,  tho'  all  the  Sa- 
craments of  Rome  confer  Grace ;  by  whofc 
Ble fling  do  they  confer  it  ?  By  God's  ?  No,  but 
by  the  Bleffing  of  the  Prieftbood  !  'Tis  the  good 
Intention  of  the  Prieft  that  is  to  give  EfHcacy 
to  the  Administration,  fays  the  Council  of  Flo- 
rence, (a)  If  the  Prieft  be  not  well  paid,  can 
you  expect  him  to  be  well  pleas' d ;  and  if  he 
be  not  well  pleas' d,  whatever  good  Words  he 
may  amufe  you  with,  you'll  have  Reafon  to 
fufpeft  the  Goodnefs  of  his  Intention  !  When 
you  come  to  be  weigh'd  in  the  Ballance,  ac- 
cording as  the  Prie/l  is  in  good  or  bad  Hu- 
mour, Heaven  or  Hell  will  preponderate  in  the 
Scale.  Whatever  you  have  been  told  before  of 
the  Efficacy  of  Sacraments ;  you  may  fafe- 

ly  believe  what  you  are  told  now   you 

have  the  Word  of  a  Council  for  it,  and  Coun- 
cils, like  Tradition,  cannot  err;  that  Sacra- 
ments are  no  Sacraments,  unlefs  you  are  in 
fuch  clofe  League  with  the  Prieft  as  to  be  af- 
fur'd  of  his  good  Intention  to  blcjs  them. 

02  To 


(a)  Ha:c  Omnia  Sacramenta  tribus  perficiuntur,  videlicet  rebus 
tanquam  Maceria,  verbis  tanquam  Forma  et  Perfona  miniftri  con- 
ferentis  Sacrmncntum,  cum  Intentiont  faciendi  quod  facit  Eccle- 
fia.  Si  dtfu,  non  pe/fkicur  Sacramentum. 

Lobe's  Coqc.  Tom  13.  p.  535, 


(168) 

To  e^pofe  the  Abfurdity  of  this  Doctrine, 
it  was  urg'd  at  the  Council  of  frent,  that  if  a 

Prieft  mould  want  a  good  Intention, fuch 

Catholic  Priefts  there  were  in  thofe  Days,  what- 
ever there  may  be  in  ours  !  all  the  Sacra- 
ments he  adminifters,  muft  want  the  facr amen- 
ta! Efficacy.  If  he  baptizes  Children,  or  ab- 
folves  Penitents  j  fuch  Eaptifm  is  no  Baptifm, 
fuch  Absolution  is  no  Abjblutiont  confequently 
thofe  who  are  cursed  with  his  Admin  iftration, 
dying  unbaptiz'd,  or  unabfolv'd,  muft  be  loft 
for  ever !  Nay,  if  an  Infant,  that  receives  fuch 
unintentional  Baptifm^  mould  afterwards  be- 
come a  Eifkop  ;  as  many  as  he  ordains,  have  a 
Nullity  ftamp'd  upon  all  their  Adminflrations ; 
fo  that  Millions  may  eternally  perifi,  thro* 
the  Conduct  of  one  Jingle  Prieft,  in  one  fingle 
Inftance  only  !  But  all  fuch  Arguments  as  thefe 
were  ealily  overut'd,  tho'  not  fo  eafily  anfwer'd. 
The  Council  was  under  the  Pope's  abfolute  Di- 
rection ;  which  occafioned  this  bold  Pafyui- 
nade  upon  it,  that  the  Synod  was  guided  in 
all  its  Decifions  by  the  Holy  Ghoft,  fent  thither 
from  Time  to  Time  in  a  Cloak- bag  from 
Rome,  (a) 

But  to  return  to  our  Author.  I  have  one 
very  ccnfiderable  Objection  againft  his  Doc- 
trine   that  the  Sentence  pronounced  by  his 

Catholic 


(a)  Father  Paufs  Counc.  of  Trent,  p.  497. 


Catholic  Prieft,  "  (hall  be  a  prejudging  Forc- 
"  runner  of  the  Sentence  pafs'don  the  laftDay." 
If  Chriftianity  be  in  the  Right,  he  muft  be  in 
the  Wrong.  'Tis  not  Cbrift's  Vicars,  •  God's 
Reprefenfatives,  the  Prime  Stewards  of  his  Re~ 
venues,  the  Chief  M afters  of  his  Hou/hold  arid 
his  Almoner^  but  another  Sort  of  Men>  Men 
of  a  very  different  Character  and  Complexi- 
on,   'Tis  the  Saints  that  muft  judge  the 

World.  But  if  this  refers  only  to  Civil  Judi- 
catories  by  Chriftian  Magiftrates,  oar  Author 
no  doubt,  will  ftill  maintain  his  Church  Pre- 
rogative^ of  fitting  as  fupreme  Judge  of  the 

World  : mould  we  then  appeal  to  the  Bar 

of  Godt  rather  than  to  the  Tribunal  of  the 
Prieft^  who  knows  but  we  may  fubject  our- 
felves  to  a  Premunire  for  appealing  to  a  fo- 
reign  Jurifdidlion  ? 

Be  it  afk'd  what  Family  are  thefe  Priefts  of, 
\vhofe  irreverfible  Decrees  fix  and  direct  the 
Sentence  of  the  laft  Day  ?  The  Catecbift  anfwers 
roundly,  t{  From  ye/us  we  have  an  uninterrnp- 
tl  ted  Chain  of  Bimops,  the  Sttcceffors  of  the  A- 
<l  poftles  down  to  this  Time."  (a)  The  Line  of 

Succeffion  is  as  ft  rait  as  a Ram's  Horn,  and 

ranting  Fanaficks  add,  as  oft  broke  into,  and 
indented.  However  let  them  glory  in  the  Name 
of  the  Apoftles  Succeffors,  as  well  as  of  God's 
Refrefentatives !  Did  You  ever  read  of  a  Pope 

who 

Cat.  p,  47, 


(no) 

who  directed  a  Painter  to  Draw  him  Peter 
and  Paul>  and  exert  all  the  Force  of  his 
Genius  on  the  Occafion.  The  Painter  draws 
them  with  a  ftrong  Vermillion  Blufh  in  their 
Faces.  And  had  They  fays  the  holy  Father 
fuch  ruddy  Complexions  as  thefe  ?  No,  re- 
ply's the  Virtuojb,  but  were  they  here  riotv, 
to  fee  what  a  Ragamuffin  Race  fet  up  for  their 
Succeffbrs,  they  would  blufh  with  Surprize  and 
Slftonijhment  as  thefe  Piffures  do !  I  leave  Your 
'  Friend  and  his  uninterrupted-Succeffion  Tribe  to 
apply  this.  We  have  known  the  Times  Sir, 
Times  that  You  and  Your  Party  ftill  adore, 
when  it  was  the  Language  of  one  who  call'd 
himfelf  a  Proteftant  Divine,  one  of  the  Paul's 
Coppock's,  or  Cl—yt—ns  of  that  Age,  that  if 
the  Devil  bimfelf  was  to  put  on  holy  Order  s^  he 
•would  be  injpird  of  the  Holy  Gho/i.  (a)  From 
the  whole  Turn  of  our  Author's  Sentiments,  I 
queftion,  if  it  were  put  to  him,  whether  he 
would  not  aflert  the  fame ! 

Praying  for  the  Dead  brings  in  a  frefh  Flow 
of  Treafures  to  the  Church,  and  therefore  muft 
be^another  fundamental  Article  in  the  new  Gof- 
pel,  this  Gentleman  would  eftablifh.  "  The 
"  Dead  pray  for  us,  and  why  mould  we  not 
<c  pray  for  the  Dead  ?  Surely  one  good  Turn 
requires  another !  But  mould  it  be  afk'd,  how 

know 


(a)  Emanl.  Utty.  D.  D.    Vid,   Century  of    fcandalous  and 
lewd  Minitlers,  p.  2,  1643. 


(II!) 

know  you  that  the  "Dead  pray  for  us  ?  — ^*- 
You  have  our  Author's  Word  for  it  in  his  Cj- 
techifm  •>  and  who,  but  a  Heretic,  can  difpute 
the  infallible  Word  of  an  infallible  Prieft  or 
Bifiop?  The  Authority  of  Tradition  itfelf  is 
not  more  venerable  and  facred  than  the  Autho- 
rity of  this  our  Tradition  Believer!  "  The 
cc  Saints,"  faith  he,  "  pray  for  us  more  after 
"  their  Death  than  before."  Did  he,  think 
you,  ever  fee  or  hear  them  at  their  Devotions  in 
the  other  World  ?  Has  he  any  Correfpondence 
with  the  Saints  there  ?  Whatever  he  may  have 
with  the  Saints  of  Rome,  'tis  prefum'd  he  has 
none  with  the  Saints  of  Heaven. 

Another  Argument  in  Juftification  of  praying 

for  the  Dead  is,  that  it  was  the  Practice  among 

the  Antient  Jews.     That  I  deny,  and  call  upon 

our  Author  to  prove  it.  It  fliall    be  done 

*— -  as  follows.  Mofesjorbids  the  Jews  offer- 
ing Oblations  for,  (or  to)  the  Dead-,  (a)  or, 
in  other  Words,  he  warns  them  againft  apofta~ 
tizing-  into  the  Idolatry  of  the  Gentiles,  among 
whom  it  was  ufual  to  facrifke  to  their  dead 
Idols,  or  Hero  Gods-,  —  therejore  praying  for 
the  Dead  is  a  Duty  prefcrib'd  in  the  Jeivifb 
Inftitution.  Now  Sir  permit  me  to  illuftrate 
the  Force  of  this  Reafoning  by  one  or  two/>#- 
ralell  Inftances.  God  fays  to  Mofes  thou  fliall 
have  no  other  God  but  me  ;  — —  therefore  Ido- 
latry 

(a}  Dcut.  26.  14, 


(112) 

iafry  is   of  divine   Appointment.     Thou  fhali 

not  worfhip   any  graven  Image ;  therefore 

bowing  to  an  Idol's  Shrine  is  paying  Obedience 
to  the   Commands  of  Heaven.     Was   our  Au- 
thor  think  you,  pupill'd  by  a  learned  Divine^ 
(not   a  fanatic  one,  Jor   it  is  a   Cafe  that  has 
been  argrfd  in  Councils^)  who  could    prove  the 
Illegality  of  Commendams,    and    Nonrejtdencesy 
from  any  one  Text  in  his  Bible  ?     Once  he  was 
to  entertain  his  Audience  with  a  Difcourfe  up- 
on this,    you  will  expect   me  to  call  it  proli- 
fic^    rather  than  barren  Subject ;  — —  Abraham 
begat  Ifaac .     After  having  difplay'd  much  ge~ 
nealogical   Learning,    and   holy   Zeal  over  his 
Text,  he  inferred  from  it,  and  fo  natural  was 
the  Inference  that  any  one   of   your  venerable 
Church    Deaconeffes    would    have    infer  r'd    the 

fame,  the   Unlawfu/nffs   of  Nonrefidences. 

For  how  mould  Abraham  have  begat  Ifaac, 
had  he  not  been  a  Rejident  with  his  Wife  Sa- 
rah?  Our  Catechift*s  Reafoning,  has  more  of 
the  marvellous  in  it  than  this,  tho'  I  can  by  no 
Means  allow  it:  to  be  as  clear  and  conclujtve  ! 

Some  other  Authorities,  Scripture  ones  he 
calls  them,  he  has  deduced  out  of  the  Apocry- 
phal Writings.  In  Imitation  of  the  Council  of 
Trent,  he  has  fcifted  the  Apocrypha  into  the 
Sacred  Canon,  tho',  as  might  be  fhewn  at 
large,  all  antient  Councils  and  Authorities  are 

again  (I 


I  ("3) 

againft  him.  (aj  'Tis  prefum'd,  that  with  the 
Council  of  Trent  likewife,  he'll  curje  and  a- 
nathematize  all  fuch  as  refufe  to  receive  thefc 
Books  as  canonical  Scriptures,  and  to  believe 
the  Legends  they  contain  to  be,  like  his  own 
Catechijm^  the  Language  of  a  Divine  Revela- 
tion. But  what  has  he  advanc'd  from  them  in 
Defence  of  Praying  for  the  Dead  ?  The  firfl 
Text  he  has  urg'd  bids  as  fairly  to  prove  the 
Divinity  of  the  Alcoran,  or  the  Truth  of 
Tranfub/tantiation,  as  it  doth  to  prove  the 
Point  he  would  eftablim.  The  next  Authori- 
ty he  adduces,  is  taken  out  ofihefecond  Book 
of  Maccabees;  a  fpurious  Performance,  com- 

pil'd  by  an  unknown  Hand,  by  a  Writer, 

whoever  he  be,  of  no  Reputation.  But  be  the 
Hi/tory  wrote  by  whom  it  will,  it  is  probable 
that  the  Paragraph  refer'd  to  is  an  Interpola- 
tion. Jofephus,  in  his  Account  of  the  Defeat 
of  the  Jamnites,  never  mentions  the  FacT:  of 
Judas,  now  under  Confideration,  as  'tis  highly 
probable  he  would,  had  the  Hiftory  of  it  been 
authentic.  But  allowing  our  Author  to  make 
the  moft  of  the  Paflage  that  he  can ;  the  Pray- 
ers and  Sacrifices  there  mention'd,  might  be  of- 
fer'd  and  feem  to  be  offer'd  for  Sin,  as  that 
might  be  hurtful  to  the  living,  as  was  the  Sin 

of  Achan.     Yet  after  all  fuch  Apocryphal 

Authority   is  of  as  little   Weight   with  a  Man 

P  who 


(a)  Vide  Cofins's  Canon. 


(«*•) 

ivho  is  guided  by  Common  Senfe,  as  the  Autho- 
rity of  your  Friend's  Tradition  Bible. 

But  St.  Paul  who  was  no  Apocryphal  Wri- 
ter, exhorts  that  Eucbarifts  be  made  for  all 
Men,  and  Supplications  for  all  Saints ;  therefore 
infers  our  Author,  St.  P#&/  recommends  it  to 
us  to  pray  for  the  Dead.  What  then,  doth 
St.  Paid  mean  that  we  mould  pray  for  Dead 
Kings  that  are  in  Authority,  as  well  as  for 
the  Living  ones  that  are  ?  Doth  he  mean  that 
we  mould  lead  quiet  and  peaceable  Lives  under 
the  Government  of  dead  Kings,  as  well  as  under 
the  Government  of  the  Living?  According  to 
our  Author  he  doth ;  and  you  know  Sir,  Infal- 
libility cannot  be  miftaken.  Should  any  Per- 
ibn  of  Diftindtion  call  in  all  the  Phyficians  in 
Manchejler  to  join  in  a  Confultation  upon  his 
Cafe,  would  not  you  underfland  that  he  meant 
to  fummon  all  the  dead  Phyficians,  as  well  as 
all  the  living  to  attend  him  ?  All  thofe  whofe 
Bodies  lie  rotting  in  the  Ground,  as  well  as 
any  others  whofe  Names  rot  above  it  ?  I  take 
all  becoming  Confulion  to  myfelf,  unable  any 
longer  to  combat  fuch  Catholic  Church-De- 
monjlration  as  this. 

Another  Piece  of  Artillery  our  Catechi/l 
brings  out  of  his  Catholic  Arfenal,  to  batter 
down  Herefy  and  eftablifli  Prayer  for  the  Dead, 
is  that  Text  in  St.  Jebn,  "  There  is  a  Sin  un- 
"  to  Death,  I  do  not  fay  you  fliall  pray  for 


4CC 


Jt. 


c<  it."  Becaufe  there  is  a  very  heinous  ag- 
gravated Sin,  called  here  a  Sin  unto  Death  t 
which  we  are  not  bound  by  Precept  to  pray 
for ;  therefore  we  are  to  pray  for  the  Dead. 
Remarkable  are  the  Words  of  our  learned  Light- 
foot,  referring  to  this  very  Text.  "  When" 
fays  he  "  I  fee  thefe  Men's  Annotations  on  thig 
<c  Scripture,  they  often  put  me  in  Mind  of 
"  Bfnbadad's  Servant  with  Ropes  about  their 
"  Necks,  catching  at. any  Word  that  fell  from 
c<  the  King  of  Ifrael's  Mouth,  that  might  be 
"  of  any  Advantage  to  their  forlorn  and  loft 
"  Caufe  and  Condition.  Thefe  Men's  popifk 
"  Caufe,  has  had  the  Rope  about  its  Neck  now 
"  a  long  Time,  and  been  in  a  loft  and  for- 
<c  lorn  Cafe ;  and  I  cannot  tell  whether  I 
"  fhould  laugh  or  frown,  to  fee  what  pitiful 
"  Shifts  and  fhameful  Scrambling  they  make 
<{  for  it,  by  catching  at  any  Word  or  Syllable 
"  in  the  Scriptures  or  Fathers,  and  wrefling, 
"  and  twifting,  and  twineing  it  to  any  feeming 
"  or  colourable  Advantage  to  their  condemned 
"  Caufe,  to  fave  it  from  Execution. 

<e  Certainly  they  are  at  a  very  hard  Pinch  for 
"  Proof  of  praying  for  the  Dead,  when  they 
"  make  fuch  a  Scraping  in  this  Portion  of 
*c  Scripture  to  rake  it  out  thence  ;  whereas  the 
<c  Words  are  as  far  from  meaning  the  Living 
"  praying  for  the  Dead,  as  the  Dead  praying 
"  for  the  Living:1  (a.) 

P  2  But 

{a)  JLightfoot's  Works  Vol.  2.  p,  1094; 


(u6) 

But  if  we  muft  pray  for  the  Dead,  what  are 
the  proper  Seafons  for  this  Kind  of  Devotion  ? 
Our  Author  anfwers :  <{  If  you  would  cornrne- 
"  morale  any  of  the  faithful  departed  in  as  fo- 
"  lemn  and  particular  Manner,  let  it  be  done 
"  with  Almfgiving,  on  the  third,  ninth>  and 
<c  fortieth  Day  after  the  Perfon's  Deceafe, 
"  and  on  the  Anniverfary  Day  of  his  or  her 
"  Death."  We  are  told  that  our  Pagan  An- 
ce/lors  in  this  L-and,  and  Herodotus  gives 
the  fame  Account  of  fome  other  Nations, 
as  foon  as  any  of  their  Friends  were  dead, 
inftead  of  consigning  them  to  their  Mother 
Earth,  as  a  Prey  to  Worms,  feafled  themfelves 
upon  their  Remains,  which  they  look'd  upon 
as  an  Act  of  great  Piety  and  Devotion.  With 
great  Solemnity  they  invited  their  moft  inti- 
mate Friends  to  feed  with  them  upon  the  Bo-* 
dies  of  their  dead  Relations,  to  regale  them- 
felves with  a  Fricafee,  cook'd  out  of  the  Re- 
mains of  a  dead  Neighbour,  Father,  or  Bro- 
ther, (aj  Our  Gatechijt's  Prayers  for  the  Dead, 
have  not  that  /avage  Complexion  which  this 
Kind  of  Devotion  wears,  but  they  are  equally 
indefeniible  and  fuperftitious.  He  has  not 
thought  it  expedient  to  entertain  his  Readers 
with  the  Reaions  alledg'd  by  the  Daughters  of 
Superftition  in  Favour  of  the  Periodical  Devo- 
tions mentioned  above.  However  as  I  find 

the 

(a)  Mum's  Funeral  Ceremonies, 


the  fame  Practice  in  the  Greek  Churches,  and 
the  Reafons  urg'd  by  them  in  Support  of  the 
Practice,  I'll  beg  Leave  to  fupply  our  Author's 
Omiflion. 

Their  third  Day's  Devotions  for  the  Dead, 
are  perform'd  for  two  Reafons.  _.  Firft,  in 
Confideration  that  the  Dead  Body  in  that  /Space 
of  Time,  begins  to.  change,  its  Form  and  Fea- 
tures ;  and  next  becaufe  our  Saviour  rofe  from 
the  Dead  on  the  Third  'Day.  Their  Prayers 
on  the  Ninth  Day  after  a.  Perfon's  Deceafe  are 
offer'd,  fay  they,  became  by  that  Time  the 
whole  Body,  excepting  the  Heart  only,  which 
was  the  chief  .  Seat  and  Inftrument  of  the  vi- 
tal Functions,  is  grown  putrifv'd  and  noifome  ; 
and  likewife  Prayers  are.  renewed  then,  becaufe 
one  of  the  Times  our  Saviour  appeared  to  his 
Difciples,  when  he  had  rofe  from  the  Dead, 
was  on  the  Ninth  Pay  after  his  /aid  Refurrec- 
tion ;  and  the  Solemnities  of  the  fortieth  Day 
are  perform'd,  becaufe,  then  the  Heart  and  the 
whole  Body  is  become  corrupt  and  putrified  \  and 
becaufe  alfo  our  Saviour  afcended  to  Heaven 
the  fortieth  Day  after  his  Refurrection.  (a) 
If  our  Author  will  not  abide  by  thefe  Reafons, 
for  the  Practice  he  recommends,  I  call  upon 
him,  to  afOgn  ivorfe  if  he  cany  for  I  defp.iir  as 
to  his  afligning  any  better.  If  this  be  Religion, 

I  no 

(a)  Muret's  Funeral  Ceremonies, 


("9) 

I  no  more  wonder  at  the  Turks,  who  reverence 
Idiots  and  Madmen,  as  Saints  and  Prophets'. 

Sir  John  Chardin,  in  his  Travels  to  Per/ia, 
gives  us  an  Account  of  fome  Funeral  Ceremo- 
nies of  the  Mingretians,  in  the  County  of  Col- 
&is.  One  of  them  is  _  to  perform,  after 
the  Manner  of  our  Author,  Acts  of  Devotion 
over  the  Dead  on  the  fortieth  Day  after  his 
Deceaie.  Their  Motives  to  this  Practice  are 
very  fub/lantial  zndfolid.  I'll  not  prefume  to 
fay  that  our  Author's  are  the  fame.  After  fomc 
Jrantic  Lamentations,  that  infpire  indifferent 
Spectators  with  Pity  and  Horror,  and  which 
are  continued  till  the  fortieth  Day  after  the 
Perfons  Deceafe,  that  being  the  appointed  Day 
for  his  Interment ;  the  Bifhop  fays  Mafs  over 
him,  and  then  moft  devoutly  /eizeth  on  his 
Horfe,  Wearing  Apparel,  Plate,  and  every 
Thing  he  left  behind  him,  and  appropriates, 
or,  if  you  like  the  Expreffion  better,  con fe  crates 
the  whole  to  his  own  immediate  Service,  (a) 
Thus  the  Goods  which  the  deceafed  has  left  be- 
hind him,  become  the  Property  of  God's  Re- 
prefentative -,  and  the  more  there  is  left  for 
God's  Reprefentatiw  the  better  I  I  appeal  to  our 
Author,  whether  this  is  not,  upon  his  own 
Principles,  pure,  primitive  Religion ! 

The  next  Thing  I  would  take  Notice  of  in 
your  Friend's  tradition  Go  (pel  is,  the  Zeal  he 

exprefles 

(a)  Chardtn's  Travels,  p.  105; 


(120) 

cxpreflcs  for  the  Commands  of  the  Church. 
"  You  are  to  obferve  the  Laws  of  the  Catholic 
"  Church,  and  all  the  Rubrics  and  Canons  of 
*e  the  particular  Church  of  which  you  are  Mem- 
"  bers  ;  and  befides  thefe  general  Laws,  you  are 
<c  to  regard  the  following  particular  Commands : 

<c  . To  abftain  from  eating  Blood;  to  offer 

"  to  God  our  Tythes,  Firft  Fruits,  and  volun- 
<c  tary  Oblations;  to  obferve  the  Feafts  and 
<c  Fafts  of  the  Church ;  to  offer  and  receive 
<e  the  Eucharift  every  Holy  Day,  at  leaft  not 
"  to  omit  any  of  the  great  Fcftivals ;  and  to 
"  pray  (landing  on  all  Sundays,  and  every  Day 
"  between  Eafter  and  Penteco/t"  (a)  The  ho- 
neft  Proteftant  will  afk,  will  it  not  be  fuffici- 
ent  for  -a  Man  if  he  endeavours  to  pay  a  fincere 
and  uniform  Regard  to  the  Commands  of  Goo1; 
tho'  he  mould  be  a  Stranger,  or  even  an  Infi- 
del as  to  the  Commands  of  the  Church  ?  Cannot 
God  fave  me  without  the  Church's  Confent,  or 
the  Church*s  Interpoftion  ?  But  let  the  Quari/l 
confider,  who  fhould  the  Church  be,  but  the 
Priefls  ;  and  who  are  the  Priefls ',  but  God's  Re~ 
prefentatiiies  ?  In  an  Affair  of  fuch  Importance 
therefore  'tis  neither  /afe  nor  prudent,  to  fay  no 
more,  to  run  any  Hazards.  *Hndaly  one  of  our 
firfl  Reformers,  whofe  Tranflation  of  the  Bible 
into  Englijfb,  was  burnt  in  Queen  Mary's  Reign, 
by  tfie  Hands  of  the  Common  Hangman,  difput- 
ing  with  a  learned  Papift,  and  mewing  him 

that 

(a)  Cat.  p,  60; 


(   120  ) 

that  Popery  was  a  mofl  horrid  Corruption  of 
Chriftianity ;  his  Adverfary  replies,  ive  had  bet- 
ter be  without  God's  Laws,  than  without  the 
Pope's  Laws.  And  would  not  your  Catholic 
Friend  were  he  put  to  it,  as  roundly  affert, 
that  we  had  better  negleft  God's  Commands,  than 
negledt  the  Commands  of  the  Church.  I  make- 
no  Doubt  but  he-  would.  One  of  thefe  Com- 
mands I  would  briefly  animadvert  upon  at  pre- 
fent,  that  is,  the  fecond.  The  Catechi/l  and 
his  Difciple  talk  thus. 

<J.  What  Refpedl  are  we  oblig'd  to  pay  to 
God,  befides  worfhipping  him  with  our  Hearts 
and  Mouths? 

A.  We  are  to  Honour  him  with  our  Subflance. 

4J.  What  Part  of  our  Income  mufl  we  offer 
to  him? 

A.  The  Tythe  or  Tenth  Part. 

<$>.  What  mufl    we  offer  to  God  befides  ? 

A.  The  Firft  Fruits  of  all  our  Increafe. 

£>.  What  doth  God  expeft  from  us  befides  ? 

A.  That  we  mould  offer  him  fomething  of 
our  own  Free- Will. 

^  How   much,  and  when  ? 

A.  The  more  and  the  of  tern  r  the  better. 


(121) 

^.  To  whom  are  thefe  Tythes,  Ftrjl  Fruits^ 
and  Oblations  to  be  offer'd  ? 

A.  To  God's  Reprefentatives,  his  Prie/ls.  (a) 

Here  Sir  you  fee,  that  what  is  given  to  the 
Prieft,  is  given  to  the  Lord,  and  that  the  Prieft, 
like  him  whole  Reprefentative  he  is,  loveth  a 
chearful  and  liberal  Giver.  The  Tenth  Part 
of  all  your  Revenues  is  but  a  fmall  Matter  to 
give  him.  The  Fir/I  fruits  of  all  your  In- 
creafe  is  fomething  better,;  but  it  is  your  vo- 
luntary Oblations  that  muft  crown  all.  For 
your  Comfort,  you  cannot  err  by  giving  too 
much,  even  tho'  you  give  away  more  than  your 
all ;  for  the  more  and  the  oftmer  you  give,  the 
better.  Your  Offspring,  your  Family,  your 
Creditors  may  not  blefs  you  for  it ;  but  the 
Prieft  will. 

The  Ecclefiaftical  Flrft  Fruits,  that  is,  the 
Jirft  Years  Profits  of  Bi(hoprics  and  Benefices 
after  their  Avoidance,  as  they  ftand  rated  in  the 
King  s  Book,  was  formerly  in  this  Kingdom 
paid  to  the  Pope,  but  alienated  to  the  Crown. 
at  the  Reformation.  Queen  Anne^  in  the  third 
Year  of  her  Reign,  fettled  the  Revenue  ariiing 
from  fuch  Fir  ft  Fruits^  and  Tenths,  as  a  per- 
petual Fund  for  the  Augmentation  of  poor  Liv~ 
tngs,  and  the  better  Maintenance  of  the  poorer 


Oat.  p.    62,  (13, 


(   122) 

Clergy,  whereby  they  have  once  more  reverted 
to  the  Church.  This  Grant,,  however  ujeful 
it  may  be  at  prefent ;  fhould  it  always  be  con- 
tinued, the  Confequences  that  may  arife  from 

it  in  future  Ages,    I  dread    to  mention; 

but  you,  and  your  Catholic  Friend  will  mention 
with  Pleafure.  Nothing  lefs  it  feems  will  fatisfy 
his  Appetite,  and  a  voracious  one  it  is,  than  the 
Tythes  and  firft  Fruits  of  all  our  PoffefTions. 

Nor  are  thofe  alone  fufficient  j  , when  he  has 

fleec'd  his    Flock,  by  'Tythes  and  Jirft    Fruits-, 

next  they  are  to  devote  the  Remainder  of 

their  Subilance  to  him,  in  voluntary  Oblations. 
This  Gentleman's  Stomach  would  digeft  Church 
Revenues,  as  a  Wolf  would  Lambs,  or  a  Kite 

Chickens.  I  truft  Sir,  I   can  fafely  pro- 

phefy,  that  his  Wifhes  will  never  be  fully  gra- 
tify'd  in  Britain,  At  Paraguay,  in  South  A- 
merica,  the  Miffionary  Jefuits  have  a  Settle- 
ment that  muft  be  moft  excellently  adapted  to 
our  Catech[/ls  Taft.  Thither  I  would  recom- 
mend it  to  him  to  tranfport  himfelf,  and  if  he 
pleafes,  he  may  take  his  R-y-1  Mafter,  France's 
political  Foot- ball  with  him.  This  Settlement, 
which  is  computed  to  contain  two  Millions  of 
Indians,  is  divided  into  42  petty  Principalities, 
govern'd  by  that  Number  of  Ecclefiaftical  So- 
vereigns, who  are  both  Priefts  and  Kings.  It 
abounds  with  Sheep  and  bkck  Cattle,  Timber, 
Corn,  Pulfe,  Flax,  Cotton,  Indigo,  Sugar,  and 
Fruit,  and  with  Silver  and  Gold  Mines,  tho' 

it 


(  1*3  ) 

it  feems  the  Gho/tly  Fathers  will  not  own  the 
latter.  The  Inhabitants,  whom  they  have 
in  the  moft  abject  and  abfolute  VafTalage, 
have  no  Property  of  their  own,  and  nothing 
allow'd  them  but  Food  and  Rayment.  Not- 
withftanding  this,  they  are  an  active  and  labo- 
rious People.  They  bring  all  the  Produce  of 
the  Mines ;  all  the  Provifiona  of  the  Land  ; 
and  all  the  Manufactures  they  work,  into  EC- 
clefiajlicalWarehoiifes  appointed  to  receive  them. 
Not  even  a  Chicken  of  his  own  Rearing^  is  a 
poor  Slave  fuffer'd  to  eat,  unlefs  it  be  cater'd 
out  to  him  in  the  Courfe  of  the  Church- royal 
Allowance.  The  Trade  thefe  Holy  Fathers 
carry  on  at  the  Expence  of  their  Slaves,  and 
the  Re-venue  it  brings  them,  not  to  mention  the 
Gold  Duft  gathered  by  the  Indians,  out  of  the 
Wafhes,  when  the  Rivers  ebb,  is  incredible. 
To  keep  thefe  Slaves  in  Obedience,  as  well  as  to 
guard  againft  Livafions,  they  have  a  large  ftand- 
ing  Military  Force,  and  a  right  Reverend  Ge- 
neralijfimo  to  head  them.  In  a  Week's  Time 
they  can  collect  an  Army  of  60,000  Troops, 
to  fight  the  Battles  of  the  Pnejl  and  the 
Lord,  againft  all  Enemies  or  Invaders,  (a) 
Now  5Vr,  would  not  our  right  Reverend  Ca- 
techi/l  think  you,  relifh  fuch  a  Settlement  as 
this,  where  he  need  not  preach  up  Tytbes, 
fir  ft  Fruits,  and  voluntary  Oblations,  becaufe, 

all 


(a)  Betagh's  Voyaj-e  ">'«"*  the  World  1719.  p.  3*3. 


di  the  Treafures  of  the  Land,  and  all  the  ta- 
bour  of  its  Inhabitants,  are  the  Inheritance  of 
Catholic  Priefls,  and  their  Subjefts  have  nothing 
but  the  Sweat  of  their  Brows  which  they  can 
call  their  own  ?  What  pure  Orthodox  Religion 
muft  that  be,  which  would  conftitute  him  a 

Royal  Prieft  ?  Were  he  advanced  to  fuch 

£hurcb  Royalty  as   this,  and    who  knows  but 

he  may,  if  he  tries;  the  Scene   would  be 

probably  chang'd,  and  God  muft  then  become 
the  Pr^e/i s  Representative,  inftead  of  the  Priefts 
cpndefcending  to  be  God's! 

In  the  Kingdom  of  Pegu  in  the  Eaft,  the 
fuperftitious  Inhabitants  worfhip  the  Devil, 
and  offer  their  Addreffes  to  him  by  the  Medi- 
ation of  the  Prieft,  whom  they  call,  not  as 
our  Catecbift  doth,  God's  Reprefentative,  but 
the  Devil's  father,  (a)  Our  Author  will  con- 
clude, that  thefe  Idolaters  are  very  much  out  in 
their  Church  Heraldry,  and  derogate  much  from 
the  Dignity  of  his  Heaven.born  Extraction  ;  and 
yet  I  confefs  a  Devil  that  is  to  be  blown  orjir'a' 
out  of  his  Dominions*  one  can  fcarce  forbear 
inferring,  that  he  is  created  only  to  Jerve  a 
Turn  ;  and  is,  as  the  Inhabitants  of  Pegu  fug- 
geft,  a  Devil  of  the  Catholic  Pri eft's  own  be- 
getting. 

In 

[  (a)  Atl,  A(U  p.  66a. 


(  "5  ) 

In  fome  of  the  preceding  Pages  it  has  been 
obferv'd,  that  Baptifm  gives  God  a  Property  in 
his  Creatures,  which  he  had  not  before.  Now 
we  come  to  Excommunication,  which  according 
to  our  Author  is  an  Ecclefiaftical  Rite,  that 
robs  God  of  all  Property  in  his  Creatures,  and 
makes  them  the  Property  of  the  Devil.  This 
fays  he,  <c  is  difcinguifhed  by  the  Names  of 
"  total  Separation,  and  Anathema  or  Curfe,  it 
"  being  the  greateft  Curfe  that  can  be  laid 
"  upon  Man,"  and  in  relation  to  it,  he  otv 
ferves,  that  "  cafting  out  of  the  Church" 
more  Myfteries  or  Sacraments  flill  !  "is  an  I- 
<c  mage  of  cafting  out  of  Paradife,  and  to  be 
<£  paralell'd  with  it,  that  when  a  Man  is  ex«- 
<e  communicated  out  of  one  Church,  he  is  ex- 
"  communicated  out  of  all ;  and  any  Church 
*'  that  receives  an  excommunicated  Perfon  de- 
<e  Jerves  the  very  fame  Sentence  ;"  that  is,  a- 
ny  Church  that  receives  a  Perfon  that  has  been 
devoted  to  the  Devil,  when  the  Devil  rejufes 
to  receive  him,  dejerves  to  be  given  to  the  De- 
vil itfelf.  (a)  "  When  Perfons  are  thus  excom- 
"  municited,  they  are  not  only  excluded  from 
"  Communion  in  facred  Things,  but  are  to  be 
"  fhunn'd  and  avoided  in  civil  Commerce  and 
<c  ordinary  Conversion  j  no  one  is  to  receive 
*'  them  into^  their  Houfes  or  eat  at  the  fame 

Tuble 

(a)  Catech.  p.  406. 


(126) 

tc  Table  with  them  ;  they  are  not  to  converfe 
<c  with  them  familiarly  whilft  living,  nor  per- 
"  form  the  Funeral  Obfequies  for  them  when 

*'  dead : .  They  can  neither  have  a  Chrifti- 

<c  an  Burial,  nor  a  Chriftian  Commemoration 
"  among  thofe  who  are  departed  in  the  true 
ct  Faith  and  Unity  of  the  Church."  This 
dreadful  Sentence  of  Excommunication  which 
our  humane  and  benevolent  Author  bandies  a- 
bout,  feems  to  be  but  a  new  Edition  of  the  old 
Pagan  Excommunication,  practis'd  in  this  Land 
by  the  Britifo  Druids,  as  related  by  Cefar. 
"  This  Punimment"  fays  he  "  is,  of  all 
<e  others  the  moft  dreadful,  for  they  who  lie 
"  under*  the  Sentence  of  Excommunication,  are 
"  number'd  among  the  moft  reprobate  and  a- 
"  bandon'd  :  All  mun  them  and  fly  from  them 
"  as  from  a  Peftilence,  leaft  they  mould  be 
"  tainted  with  the  Infection.  They  are  ex- 
<e  eluded  from  all  the  Privileges,  and  from  the 
"  Protection  of  Law,  and  from  all  the  Ho- 
"  nours  of  the  State,"  (a)  But  fevere  as  this 
Pagan  Excommunication  was,  our  Catholic 
Chriftian' s  is  much  feverer  of  the  two.  This 
Ecclefiaftical  thunderbolt  as  hurFd  about  by  our 

Author 


(a)  Sacrificiis  interdicunt.     Hsec  Psena  apud  eos  e(l  gra- 

viffima,  quibus  ita  eft  imerdiclum  ii  Numero  Itnpiorum  ac  Sce- 
leratorum  habentur,  iis  omnes  decedunt,  aditumq;  eorum  fermo- 
nemq;  defugiunt,  ne  quid  ex  Contagione  incommodi  accipiant, 
neque  iis  petentibus  jus  redditur,  neque  Honos  ullus  communica- 
tur. 


has  in  former  Times  been  a  dreadful 
Inftrument  in  the  Hands  of  fpiritual  Tyrants. 
However,  blefleci  be  God  and  the  Reformation 
for  it  j  amongft  Pro  tell  ants  'tis  confider'd  at 
prefent.only  as  rufty  Armor,  fitter  for  Parade 
than  Service  ;  —  fitter  to  be  hung  up  in  Ter- 
ror, than  to  do  any  great  Execution.  But  a- 
mongft  our  Cafecbiji's  Difciples,  I  am  inclin'd 
to  believe  it  may  have  its  Ufe  ftill.  It  may 
contribute  to  preferve  and  increafe  that  Spirit 
of  Devotion  to  Wooden  Gods  and  Wooden  Shoes, 
and  Prie/ls  more  Wooden  than  either,  which 
this  Gentleman  would  propagate.  'Tis  hard  to 
account  upon  any  other  Footing,  how  fo  fo- 
lemn  an  Admirer  of  early  Church  Antiquity  t  as 
our  Author  profeffes  himfelf  to  be,  mould  be 
for  the  Eftablimment  of  this  Kind  of  Church 
Difcipline^  which  boafts  of  no  fuch  Antiquity 
tf>  recommend  it;  for  I  find  no  Tracks  of  it  in 
the  Chriflian  Church,  till  near  200  Years 
after  Chrift  Pope  ViBor  made  Ufe  of  it  as  an 
Ecclefiaftical  Racket,  wherewith  to  play  off  the 
Bali  of  Contention. 

Should  it  be  afk'd  what  black  and  atrocious 
Crimes  thofe  Perfons  have  been  guilty  of,  a- 
gainft  whom  your  Friend's  Catholic  Fathers,  the 
Popes  of  Romey  have  from  Time  to  Time  pro- 
nounced this  dreadful  Sentence  ?  Why  truly 

their  Crimes     have  been  fuch   as    thefe  :  

Celebrating  Rafter  on  a  wrong  Day  ;    Want  of 
Orthodoxy  in  the  Cut  of  the  Beard -t    being 

guilty 


(128) 

guilty  of  fhilofipbicalHereJy,  in  maintaining  the 
Doctrine  of  Antipodes  j    transferring   a   Branch 
of  Trade  from  one  Country  to  another.     Thefe, 
and  ten  thoufand  more  fuch  Sins  as  thefe,  have 
from    Time    to   Time    provok'd    the   Catholic 
High  Priefts  of  Rome,  to  devote  obftinate  OfYen- 
cnders,  that  is,  thofe  who  will   not,  or  cannot 
buy  Grace  and  Par 'don ,  without  Pity  and  with- 
out Redemption  to  the  Devil  !    No  Hell  then 
like  an  empty  Purfe ;  that  fhuts  all  the  Bowels 
of  the  Catholic  Priefl's  Compaffion,    and  opens 
all  the    Sluices  of  Perdition,    to   pour   down 
Floods  of  eternal  and  relentlefs  Vengeance  upon 
the  poor  penny  Jefs  Sinner! 

By  the   Ecclefiaftical  Laws  of  this   Realm^ 
Excommunicated  Perfons  are  not  allowed  Chrifti- 
an  Burial.    In  the  Days  when  Monkery  and  Su~ 
perftition  reign'd  like   Twin  Sifters,    or  rathar 
rag'd  like  baleful  Meteors  without  Controul  in 
our  Land ;    thole  who  died  under  the  Sentence 
of  Excommunication  had  their  Bodies  caft  into 
a  Ditch,    or  cover'd  with  a  Heap  of  Stones, 
which  according  to  Hoveden  they  calPd  Imblo- 
care  Corpus.     In  thofe  Times  it  was  the  facred 
Language  of  Tradition,    and   Tradition  like  its 
nurfing  Father  the  Pope  cannot  errj  that  fuch 
Bodies,  however  expos'd  to  the  Weather,  could 
not  perifh,    but  would  continue  incorruptible, 
as  dreadful  Monuments  of  the   Divine  Venge- 
ance,    that   overtook   the   Contumacious   Of- 


fenders,  (a)  Abfurd  and  extravagant  as  fuel? 
Pretenfions  were,  yet  mould  your  Friend's  Ca- 
tholic Faith  ever  become  eftablifhed  in  our  Land, 
it  would  not  all  furprize  me,  to  fee  him  plead- 
ing Tradition  and  Antiquity  in  fupport  of  ths 
fame  Priefl-tvor/hip  Superftition. 

Whilft  I  am  upon  this  Subject,  a  Subject 
that  muft  be  very  grateful  to  the  Catechift's 
*Taft,  as  Church  Power  and  Authority  appear 
to  be  the  darling  Idols  he  wor flips  :  I  would 
beg  Leave  to  tranfcribe,  a  Very  holy  and  piou$ 
Form  of  Excommunication  us'd  in  the  Church 
of  Rome.  It  was  wrote  by  Ernuflus  the  5;- 
fiop,  one  of  the  Succe/ors  of  the  Apoftles  in  the 
uninterrupted  Line,  tho*  indeed  one  would  fcarce 
imagine  fo,  from  his  meek  and  merciful  Spirit. 
A  Tranjlatlon  of  it  (which  I  mail  make  Ufe  of 
here,  with  fome  little  Variation)  was  publim'd 
in  feveral  Papers  in  1745.  It  is  to  be  met 
with,  not  only  in  Sir  Henry  Spetmatfs  Gloffary, 
but  like  wife  in  the  Leger  Book  of  the  Church 
of  Rocbe/ter,  now  in  Cuftody  of  the  Deari 
and  Chapter  there. 

The  Account  given  of  the  Original  Occafion 
of  it  is  this :  An  Allom  Worker  that  belong'd 
to  his  tiolinefs  the  Pope's  Allom  Works,  was 
brought  over  to  f,ngland)  who  difcover'd  the 
Secrets  of  that  Trade  to  the  Evglifk  Nation, 

R  fe 


(»)  M&tth. 


(  13°) 

In  vengeful  Commemoration  whereof,  the  At- 
lorn  Workers,  Englifh  ones  my  Author  muft 
mean,  aremoft  devoutly  curs'd  one  certain  Day 
in  the  Year  as  follows. 

By  the  Authority  of  God  Almighty,  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghoft  $  and  of  the  Holy  Ca- 
nons ;  and  of  the  immaculate  Virgin  Mary, 
the  Mother  and  Patronefs  of  our  Saviour  ;  and 
of  all  the  Celedial  Virtues,  Angels,  Archang- 
els, Thrones,  Dominions,  Powers,  Cherubims, 
and  Seraphims  j  and  of  all  the  Holy  Patriarchs, 
and  Prophets ;  and  of  all  the  Apoftles  and  E- 
vangelifts  5  and  of  the  Holy  Innocents,  who  in 
Sight  of  the  Holy  Lamb,  are  found  worthy 
to  fmg  the  new  Song  j  of  the  Holy  Martyrs, 
and  Holy  Confeflbrs;  and  of  the  Holy  Virgins  j 
and  of  all  the  Saints ;  and  together  with  all  the 
Holy  and  Elect  of  God  j  we  excommunicate  and 
anathematize  this  Thief,  or  this  Malefactor  N. 
And  from  the  Threfholds  of  the  Holy  Church 
of  God  Almighty,  we  fequefter  him,  that  he 
fnay  be  tormented,  difpos'd,  and  deliver'd  over 
with  Dathan  and  Abiram,  and  with  thofe  who 
fay  unto  the  Lord  God,  depart  from  us,  <we 
de/ire  not  to  kmw  thy  'ways.  And  as  Fire  is 
quenched  with  Water,  fo  let  the  Light  of  him 
be  put  out  for  evermore,  unlefs  it  (hall  repent 
him,  and  he  make  Satisfaction.  Amen. 

May    God  the    Father    who   created  Man, 
curfe  him.     May  the  Son  who  fuffer'd  for  us, 

curfe 


('3') 

curfe  him.     May  the   Holy   Ghoft   who  was 
given  for  us  in  Baptifm,  curfe  him.     May  the 
Holy  Crofs,    which  Chrift  for    our   Salvation 
triumphing  over,  afcended,    curfe  him.     May 
the  Holy  and  Eternal  Virgin  Mary,  Mother  of 
God,  curfe  him.     May  St.   Michael,  the  Ad- 
vocate  of  Holy  Souls,  curfe   him.     May   St. 
John    the    Chief   Forerunner    and     Baptift    of 
Chrift,  curfe  him.     May   St.  Peter,  St.   Paul, 
and  St.  Andrew,  and  all  other  Chrift's  Apof- 
tles,  together  with  the  reft  of  his  Difciples,  and 
four  Evangelifts,  curfe   him.     May   the    Holy 
and  wonderful  Company  of  Martyrs  and  Con- 
fefTors,  who  by  their  Holy  Works    are  found 
pleafmg   to  God,  curfe   him.     May    the  holy 
Choir  of  the  holy  Virgins,  who  for  the  Honour 
of    Chrift    have    defpis'd   the    Things   of    the 
World,  curfe  him.     May  all   the  Saints,  who 
from  the  Beginning  of  the  World  to  Everluft- 
ing  Ages,  are  found  to  be  the  Beloved  of  God, 
curfe  him.     May  the  Heaven  and  Earth,  and 
all   the  holy  Things  therein    remaining,  curfe 
him.     May  he  be  curs'd  wherever  he  be,  whe- 
ther in  the  Houfe  ;  or  in  the  Field  ;  or  in  the 
Highway ;  or  in  the  Path ;  or   in   the  Wood  ; 
or  in   the  Water  ;  or  in  the  Church.     May  he 
be  curs'd  in  Living;  in  Dying;  in  Eating;  in 
Drinking  ;  in  being  Hungry  ;  in  being  Thirfty  ; 
in    Fading;  in    Sleeping;    iii    Slumbering;  in 
Waking;    in   Walking;  in   Standing;  in   Sit-» 
ting  ;  in  Lying;  in  Working  ;  in  Refting  ; 

R  2 


Here  for   Decencfs  Sake  I  fubftitute  the  Or- 
ginaly  in   the  room   of  the    Translation,  - 
iningendo  cacandot  and  in  Blood-letting.     May 
he  be  curs'd   in  all  the    Powers  of  his  Body. 
May  he  be  curs'd  within  and   without.     May 
he  be  curs'd  in  the  Hair  of  his  Head.     May 
he  be  curs'd  in  his  Brain.     May  he  be   curs'd 
in  the  Crown  of  his  Head  ;  in   his  Temples  j 
in   his    Forehead  ;    in  his  Ears  j    in    his  Eye- 
brows; in    his    Cheeks;  in  his    Jawbones;  in. 
his  Noftrils  ;  in  his  Foreteeth  or   Grinders  ;  in 
his  Lips  ;  in  his  Throat  ;  in    his  Shoulders  ;  in 
his  Wrifts  ;  in  his  Arms  ;  in  his  Hands  ;  in  his 
jFingers  ;  in  his  Bread;  in  his  Heart;  and  in 
all  the  interior  Parts  to  the   very  Stomach  ;  in 
his  Reins  ;  in   his   Groin  ;  in  his   Thighs  ;  in 
his  Genitals  ;  in  his    Hips;  in    his  Knees  ;  in 
his  Legs  ;  in  his  Feet  ;  in    his  Joints  ;  and    in 
his  Nails.     May   he    be   curs'd-  in   the   whole 
Structure   of  his  Members.     From  the  Crown 
of  his  Head  to  the  Sole  of  his  Foot,  may  there 
be  no  Soundnefs  in  him.     May  the  Son  of  the 
Living  God,    with  all   the  Glory  of  his  Ma- 
jefty,  curie  him  ;  and  may  Heaven  with  all  the 
Powers  that  move  therein,  rile    againft  him   to 
damn  him,  unlefs  he  (hall  repent  and  make  fulj. 
Satisfaction.     Amen*     Amen*     So  be  it.  (a) 


This  Excommunication,  Mutatis 
is  to   be  apply'd  to  one  or  more,  or  to  any  6- 

ther 

(a)  Spelra.  Gloflf.  p.  206, 


(  '33  ) 

ther  Occafion,  as  well  as  that  recited  above. 
Here  we  have  a  flagrant  Inftance  of  the  Spirit 
of  the  Catholic  Church  of  Romet  and  I 
wifli  there  be  any  better  Spirit  that  reigns  in 
you  i  Friend's  Catholic  Church  at  Mane  be  ft  er. 
Even  our  prefent  gracious  Sovereign,  whom 
may  God  long  preferye  !  is  every  Year  excom- 
municated at  Rome,  in  the  famous  Bui  la  C&n&, 
It  is  withal  therein  ordain'd,  that  Catholics^ 
that  is  Believers  of  your,  or  of  your  Friend's 
Complexion,  mail  not  be  oblig'd  to  attempt  de- 
throning him,  till  the  Affiftance  of  a  French 
Power  gives  them  a  Profpect  of  Succeis  in  tae 
Enterprize  :  But  if  they  ihould  make  any  Vo- 
lunteer Attempts,  and  mifcarry,  their  Zeal  (Lull 
be  adjudg'd  IS^eritorious  ;  and  thofe  who  fall 
a  Sacrifice  to  it,  mall  b^  enroll"  d  as  Martyrs^ 
that  fuffer'd  in  a  glorious  Caufe.  'Twas  proba- 
bly this,  that  tempted  your  lite  unhappy  Man- 
chefter  Friends,  when  executed  for  their  Trt.-;:- 
ions,  to  ape  the  Character  of  Martyrs: 
this  likewife  Accounts  for  the  Religious 
pours  fince  paid  them  j  for  why  may  not 
Wormip  them,  as  the  Inhabitants  of  Goa  -Jo 
dpes,  who  builds  Pagods  or  Temples,  in  which 
to  ferve  them,  (a)  Upon  clofing  the  Recital  of 
the  above  truly  G?//;0//V  Bull,a  Cannon  isdifcharg- 
ed,  at  which  it  is  faid,  the  more  Superrtitious 
blind  and  bigottcd  Papifls  believe,  all  the  fcV- 
retics  of  the  Earth  tremble  !  (b)  And 


(a}  Tavernier's  Travels  in  India,  p.  77. 
jb)  Bcnnct  of"  NewcalUe  againft  Popery  ,p.  so,' 


i 


('34) 

And  now  we  are  at  Goay  a  Learned  Writer  gives 
us  a  recent  Illuftration  in  an  Inftance  he  met  with 
there,  of  that  Spirit  we  have  beenjuft  defcribing. 
A  Prieft,  a  Catholic  one  you  may  be  fare,  came 
to  buy  Fifh  in  the  Market,  and  finding  none 
left,  he  demanded  a  Gentleman's  Bargain  who 
had  juft  bought  fome  before,  The  Gentleman 
civilly  excus'd  himfelf,  alledging  that  he  had 
fome  Friends  to  dine  with  him  that  Day.  In- 
ftead  of  admitting  the  Propriety  of  the  Apolo- 
gy, God's  Reprefentative  gave  him  a  Repri- 
mand in  very  fcurrilous  Language;  to  which 
he  replied  with  becoming  Dignity  and  Spirit. 
Hereupon  God's  Repre/entafivf,  the  Prieft,  let 
fly  the  Dart  of  Excommunication,  which  pierc'd 
fo  deeply,  that  befides  the  Gentleman's  begging 
Pardon  on  his  Knees  before  the  Archbifhop,  it 
coft  him  above  Jeven  Pounds  Sterling,  to  procure 
his  Abfolution,  (a)  and  redeem  himfelf  from 
the  Power  of  the  Devil.  — -  K  good-natur'd 
and  merciful  Devil  too !  Quoth  Pafquin ;  that 
will  relinquifh  his  Rights,  and  releafe  his  Pri- 
foners  upon  any  pecuniary  Confiderations  what- 
foever !  But  I  dare  not  dwell  any  longer  upon 
this  Subject,  leaft  I  mould  Wreftle  down  upon 
rayfelf,  this  very  Sentence  I  have  been  expo- 
fing,  and  provoke  your  Catholic  Friend,  in  his 
great  Catholicifmt  to  deal  out  his  holy  Curfes 

like 
(a)  Hamilton's  Voyage  to  the  We  ft -Indies,  p,  253; 


(i35> 

like  his  Sacrcments,  by  WMefale  ;  by  the  Do~ 
zen  againft   me  ! 


I  could  eafily  point  numberlefs  more, 
fur  dities  and  Super  /iitionsy  that  abound  in  your 
Friend's  New  Gojpel.  I  could  give  you  not  a 
Jew  Specimens  only,  but  a  large  Mufter-Roll 
of  the  Magical  Forces  he  employs,  to  'wage 
War  with  the  Devil.  I  could  lead  you  through 
the  whole  of  his  Church  Difcipline  :  Shew  you 
what  Part  of  the  Tear  you  are  to  pray  /land- 
ing, if  you  would  have  God  to  hear  your  Pray- 
ers :  And  what  Part  of  the  Tear  you  are  to 
pray  kneeling,  if  you  expect  Heaven  to  be  pro- 
pitious. But  I  need  not  inftruct  Tou  in  thefe 
Things.  'Tis  prefum'd  Tou  muft  be  properly 
inftrucled  in  them  already  !  And  what  has  been 
already  offer'd,  is  more  than  fufficient  to  con- 
vince my  Proteflant  Readers,  mould  the  Revo- 
lution long  mecV;tated  by  your  Friends,  take 
Place  j  what  kind  of  Religious  Principles  muffc 
take  Place  with  it.  With  New  Governors  we 
muft  have  New  Gofpels,  and  New  Gods  :  And 
as  to  Civil  Affairs,  we  muft  have  all  our  Old 
Taxes,  and  ten  thoufand  New  ones  befides 
them. 

The  Lands  alienated  to  the  Crown  at  the 
Reformation,  muft  likewife  revert  to  the  Church. 
How  elfe  mould  we  be  able  to  feed  and  fupport 
Swarms  of  hungry  Priejls,  of  your  Friend's 
Complexion?  Swarms  of  Exorcift-Detuil-dritu~ 

ing 


'ing  Ecclefia/ltcs,  that  demand  your  Money, 
not  with  Piftoh  levell'd  at  your  Breaft,  but 
with  Anathema  s  levell'd  at  your  Conference, 
and  let  you  kno\V  what  you  are  to  expetty  if 
you  do  not  believe,  that  the  more  you  give 
them  the  better.  What  a  happy  Exchange 
would  it  be !  I  do  not  mean  for  you  Sir,  but 
for  rational  confident  Protefla?itsy  to  barter  a- 
way  their  Eftates  and  their  Senfes,  for  Old 
Wives  Fables,  and  New  Go/pel  Revelations? 

But  as  much  Fanatic  as  I  am,  'tis  hop'd 

by  this  Time  you  are  convinc'd,  that  I  have  no 
great  Fondnefs  for  either !  Of  all  Frauds,  there 
are  none  fo  enormous  as  devout  Frauds  j  of  all' 
Cheats  and  Impoftures,  your  fanclify'd  ones 
are  the  moft  dangerous,  as  well  as  the  moft 
accompli fti'd.  Know  you  not  Sir,  that  what 
thole  who  practice  Slight  of  Hand,  call  Hocus 
PocuS)  is  nothing  elfe  but  a  Corruption  of  the 
Words  Hoc  efi  Corpus  meumy  made  ufe  of  by 
the  Papijis,  when  they  pretend  to  tranfubftan- 
tiate  Bread  and  Wine  into  the  Body  and  Blood 
of  Chrift  ?  Sojuft/ycontemptttottshzs  the  Church 
of  Rome  render'd  herfelf,  by  her  Legerdemain 
Practices  and  Pretenfions  !  If  your  Friend  the 
Catechift  has  done  the  fame,  let  him  not  blame 
others  for  pouring  Contempt  on  his  Principles, 
but  let  him  blame  thole  Principles  that  jufify 
and  dejerve  it.  To  paint  a  Monfter  in  his  pro- 
per Colours  and  full  Proportions,  is  a  fure  Way 
to  expofe  him ! 

Relight. 


(  '37  ) 

Religion,  and  the   Religion   of  Jefus    Chnft 
in  particular,  is  a   plain,  eafy,  and    intelligible 
Thing ;  adapted  not  only  to  the  Tafte  of  Pri?(lst 
Pbilofophers,  and  Poets,,  but  to  the  loweft  Ca- 
pacity.    'Tis    plain  and  uniform,  like  the  Coat 
which  Je/us  wore.     It  derives    a  nobler  Luilre 
from  its  own  Native   Simplicity,  than    all   the 
Airs  belonging    to   Super/iitious    Grimace,    or 
Theatrical  Pageantry  can    give     it.        Indeed 
Religion  doth  not,  cannot  confift  in  Rites  and 
Modes,  or  any  pretended  Orthodoxy  of  Opini- 
on, but   in  Reftitude  of  Life  and  Manners ;    in 
Purity  of  Converfation,  and  the   Adornment  of 
our  Nature.     Suppofing   that  the  Worfhip   of 
Saints  or  Angels,    the   Confecration   of  rotten 
Bones,  or  the  Bleffing  of  old  Clouts  and  Rags, 
were    no  Part  of  your,    or  of  your  Friend  the 
Cat f drift's  Religion  j  would  your  Reverence  for 
the   Deity  be  diminifftd?    Would  the  Springs 
of  Benevolence  be  impaired  thereby  ?  Or  would 
the  Contempt  of  fuch  devout  Farce  and  fanfti- 
Jied  Fopperies,    contribute  in   the  leafl  to  wound 
focial  Affections  ? 

Is  living  upon  Vegetables  not  from  pbilofophi- 
cal  but  from  fuperjiitioits  Motives,  a  Token 
of  Divine  Grace  ?  Muft  he  be  an  Enemy  to 
God,  who  is  a  Friend  to  Englijb  Beef  and 
Mutton  ?  Muft  he  hate  his  Neighbour  who  doth 
not  hate  Fowl  or  Venifon  ?  Or  muft  he  be  a 
bad  Man  who  eats  a  good  flejh  Dinner  ?  Thefe 


Sir  are  the  Principles  if  I  am  rightly  inftrudt- 
ed,  that  prevail  among  fome  gf  your  Friends, 

and  thefc    are    Principles  but  I   forbear. 

To  argue  cooly  with  an  Enthu/iaft,  is  gene- 
rally as  little  to  the  Purpofe,  as  it  would  be  to 
read  Lectures  of  Philofofby  to  a  Man  in  a  Fe- 
ver. 

As  it  appears  from  the  Language  of  our  Ca- 
techift,  that  there  are  no  Treafures  too  great, 
•o:  too  grofs  for  thofe  Church  Cormorants^  his 
Prie/ts  to  devour,  for  the  more  they  Jiva/loiv  the 
better  -,  fo  it  feems  there  are  no  Principles 
either  in  Church  or  State  fo  abfurd,  but  you 
and  your  Nmij  tiring  and  Jacobite  Brethren  can 
digeil  them.  Sometime  ago,  I  had  the  Ho- 
nour to  converfe  with  a  Gentleman  of  your  Ca- 
tholic Friend's  Complexion.  To  mew  his  great 
Skill  in  Politics  and  Jockeyfiip,  he  very  grave- 
l\  afTur'd  me,  that  our  Breed  of  Horfes  in  this 
Kingdom,  was  as  much  degenerated  as  our  Mo- 
rals, and  that  we  had  rear'd  no  Good  ones  fince 
the  Revolution.  I  could  not  on  this  Occafion 
foibesx  imagining,  that  my  new  Acquaintance 
had  been  pupil'd  by  Mr.  Addijorfs  Foxhunter  -, 
one  of  whole  political  Maxims  it  was,  that 
there  had  been  no  Good  Weather  lince  the  Re- 
idittion.  (a)  You'll  imagine,  my  Curiofity 
would  prompt  me,  to  learn  upon  what  Grounds 
he  advanced  fo  extraordinary  a  Proportion  ; 

and 

(a)    Freeholder  Number  21, 


(  '39  ) 

and  Reafons  he  had  for  it  too ;  as  good  ones  no 
Doubt  as  any  he  could  have  aiTign'd,  for  fet- 
ting  up  his  Idol- Knight- Adventurer  on  the  Bri- 
tifh  Throne !  The  Papifts  are  prohibited  by 
Law,  from  keeping  Horfes  of  Value  ;  and  they, 
poor  unhappy  Gentlemen^  vvhofe  Misfortunes  our 
very  Horfes  and  our  Country  groan  under  to 
this  Day !  were  the  only  Graziers  that  could 
preferve  or  improve  our  Breed.  To  reafon  wi'h 
Perfons  of  this  Stamp,  is  to  talk  to  the  Winds. 
Their  Zeal  is  as  blind  and  undiftinguifking, 
but  more  raging  and  boifterous. 

Amidft  our  late  national  Diftra<5tions,  the 
Nonjurors,  confidered  as  an  Eccle/lafiical  6V#, 
and  their  faithful  Friends  and  Allies  that  call 
themfelves  Church  of  England  Ncnjurcrs,  have 
been  treated  with  great  Tendernefs.  This,  in- 
flead  of  infpiring  them  with  Sentiments  of  Gra- 
titude',  -the  natural  Effect  of  fuch  Treatment  up- 
on generous  Minds,  has  fill'd  them  with  dif- 
dainful  Iniult  and  Triumph.  They  have  upon 
all  Occafions,  enjoy'd  the  Protection  of  thofe 
Laws  which  they  daily  trample  upon,  and  of 
that  Government  which  they  daily  i:ifu!t.  And 
I  am  very  far  from  envying  them  any  Privi- 
leges they  enjoy,  or  any  Liberty  they  can. plead 
for,  but  the  Liberty  of -.  cutting  their  Neigh- 
bours Throats,  and  making  a  free  People 

a   Nation  of  Staves.     The   leail  Senfe  of  Gra- 


S  2 


(  '4°) 

^  Generofity  and  Honour,  would  be  a  ftrong 
Tie  upon  them,  to  preferve  at  leaft  an  exfer- 
tial  Shew  of  Decorum,  towards  that  Govern- 
ment, and  that  Government's  Friends,  which 
protects  them.  Ingratitude  wears  that  black  and 
monftrous  Complexion,  that  an  antient  Lawgi- 
ver look'd  upon  it  to  be  too  aggravated  a 
Crime,  for  human  Nature  to  perpetrate  j  which 
was  the  Reafon  affign'd,  why  he  enacted  no 
Laws  to  profcribe  or  punifh  it.  fa)  But  the 
antient  Persians  who  had  not  the  fame  roman- 
tic Ideas  of  the  Perfection  of  human  Nature, 
confidered  Ingratitude  as  a  Crime  againft  the 
State,  and  decreed  it  to  be  punifhable  by  the 
Civil  Magistrate.  Thofe  who  were  convicted 
of  it,  were  adjudged  deftitute  of  all  Regards 
to  their  Friends,  their  Parents,  their  Country, 
and  to  the  Gods  -,  and  as  fuch,  were  punifhed 
with  peculiar  Severity  and  Rigour,  (b)  Perhaps 
Sir,  you  would  greatly  rcfent  it,  fhould  I  in 
Aliufion  to  the  above,  charge  the  Nonjuring 
and  Jacobite  Faction,  with  being  defKtute  of 
all  Regards  to  their  Friends,  their  Parents^ 
their  Country  y  and  to  the  Gods.  However, 
it  would  give  every  Lover  of  Proteflantifm  and 
Liberty  true  Pleafure,  to  fee  that  Faction  con- 
vince Mankind,  that  fuch  a  Charge  is  not  pro- 
perly fupported.  Gratitude,  Generofity,  and 
Honour,  are  Plants  that  will  not  thiive  in 


(»)    Lycurgus.  (b)    Vid.  Xenoph.  Op. 


(HO 

every  Soil.     In    Nonjuring  and  Jacobite  Soils, 
they  feldom    or  never  flourim. 

Herodotus  tells  us,  that  the  Scythians  having 
made  an  Expedition  to  4fia,  which  prov'd  of 
long  Continuance  ;  their  Slaves  in  their  Abfence 
invaded  their  Beds,  and  upon  their  Return,  re- 
iblutely  took  up  Arms  againft  their  Lords  and 
Matters.  Their  Rencounters  were  attended 
with  various  Succefles.  At  length  one  of  the 
Scythian  Lords  aliedg'd,  it  would  be  fcandalous 
to  wage  War  with  Slaves  upon  equal  Terms, 
and  propos'd  that  they  fhould  be  attack'd  with 
thofe  Whips  and  Scourges  wherewith  they  for- 
merly chaftis'd  them.  The  Scheme  took  Place, 
and  Succeeded.  They  who  had  made  a  vigo- 
rous Defence  againft  warlike  Inftruments  and 
Weapons,  fled  in  Confufion  before  thofe  Badg- 
es of  Servility,  whofe  Smart  they  had  been  u- 
fed  to  feel.  Our  'Tribes  of  Difajf'e&ion  cannot 
pretend  that  They  are  enjlav'd,  unlefs  it  be  by 
their  own  Vices.  Their  great  Grievance  is,  that 
they  are  not  fufFer'd  to  enjlave  others,  fo  as  to 
enrich  themfclves  upon  the  Wreck  and  Ruins 
of  their  Country  !  The  only  Whips  und  Scourges 
known  to  our  Conftitution  arc,  the  Inflictions 
of  Juftice,  temper'd  with  Sovereign  Mildnefs. 
But  as  to  our  Nonjuring  and  'Jacobite  Slave  s, 
Slaves  to  the  Slave  of  France  and  Rome^  tho* 
they  dread  not,  yet  do  they  not  lighte- 
oully  de/erve  the  fame  contemptuous  Punifhment 
with  their  Fellow-  Traitors  the  Scythian  Slaves  ? 

Should 


Should  France's  Duke  become  Britain's  King, 

.  O' 

'tis  not  our  "Wives  only,  that  muft  be  ravim'd 
from  us :  No,  we  muft  be  robb'd  of  every 
Property;  of  our  Eftates ;  our  Confciences  5 
our  Laws ;  our  Liberties ;  and  even  our  Lives 
too ;  which  indeed  are  not  worth  preferving, 
when  our  Liberties  once  become  the  Prey  of 
luftful  Tyranny,  and  are  devour'd  by  the  /&- 
vage  Jaws  of  Oppreffion.  But  whatever  thefe 
Men  deferve,  they  enjoy  that  Protection  which 
they  have  no  grateful  Senfe  of,  and  which  it 
would  be  well  for  their  Country,  if  they  had 
but  the  Hearts  and  Honefty  to  improve.  Thefe 
Sir  are  the  Men,  that  by  their  fecret  Confpira- 
eies,  and  open  Factions,  clog  and  embarafs  the 
Meafures  of  the  Administration ;  render  it  ne- 
ceffary  to  increaje  the  National  Expence,  to 
countermine  their  deftruclive  Schemes ;  and  then 
rail  moft  floridly  againft  thofe  Taxes  and  Debts 
which  themjehes  only,  have  occaiion'd.  They 
do  all  that  they  can  to  debauch  and  corrupt  the 
Age,  by  their  wicked  Principles,  and  then  in- 
troduce a  Spirit  of  Political  Methodijm,  and 
bowl  lamentably  over  our  Political  Corruptions  ! 
They  firft  do  all  that  they  can  to  ruin  us,  and 
then  cry  aloud  and  fpare  no.t  to  complain,  that 
we  ate  an  undone  and  ruin'd  People  !  Heavens 
preferve  the  Land  from  being  fet  on  a  Flame 
by  fuch  State  Incendiaries  as  thefe !  Heavens 
preferve  us  from  falling  a  Sacrifice  to  fuch  State 
Crocodiles^  if  I  may  be  allow'd  the  Metaphor, 

that 


(H3) 

that  weep  over  their  Country,  whilft  they  eager^ 
ly  labour  to   devour  it ! 

I  am  not  infenfible   of  its  having  been  the 
Cant  Language  of  your  Friends ,  that  to  charge 
Jacobites  and  Nonjurors  with  Difaffeftion  to  the 
prefent    Government,    or   with    any   Seditious 
Practices,    is  mere  Party    Rant   and  Ribaldry. 
The    Manchefter   Jacobites  and    Nonjurors   in 
particular,  are  upon  all  Occafions  reprefented  as 
the   mofl   loyal  Subjects  in  the  Kingdom.  — ^~ 
*Next  in  Loyalty  be  fure  to  thofe  whofe  Blood 
fay  you,  (I  venture   to  translate  your  Afterijkt 
into  Frenchify 'd  EnglifJ^  (aj  was  unjufily  fhed, 
for    being  engag'd  in  the  late  Rebellion.     But 
Metals  are  known    by  their  Weight ;  Trees  by 
their   Fruits ;  and   Men  by  their  Actions  :     If 
you   are  the  loyal  People  you  reprefent  your- 
ielves  to  be,  whence  happens  it  that  there  has 
been    fuch   a  Flufh  of  Joy  difcover'd  by  Tour 
Friends,  I  will  not  fay  for  the  taking  of  Bergen, 

that  was  a  grand   Affair !  .  but  for  a 

little  Seditious  Priefl,  by  Virtue  of  the  Adi  of 
Indemnity,  efcaping  that  Juftice  which  was 
upon  the  Wing  to  purfue  him?  Whence  was 
it  that  the  Bells  rung  on  the  Occafion,  for 
Days  together  ?  Was  it  not  by  Way  of  grate- 
ful 1e  Deumt  for  the  great  and  —  unde- 


(a)  Alluding  to  thefe  Lines  in  the  Epiftle  to  a  Friend. 

Not  Content  with  Blood. 

Juflly  perhaps,  perhaps,  •••**•*•  fted, 
(Do  them  determine  Judge  of  Quick  and  Dead.) 


('44) 

ferved  Deliverance  ?    Whence  is  it   that  this,, 
mall  I  call  him   Reverend,    Teacher  of  Babes? 
has  fuch   Numbers   of  his  young  Fry,    as    I 
am   inform'd   he  has,    clad   in  the  Livery  of 
Rebellion  ?    Is  it  not  to  convince  the   World, 
that  there  is  no   Herefy  in  Scotch  Plaid,    when 
wore  only  as  a  Badge  of  Romifh  Superflition  > 
It  muft  be   fo,    unlefs   you    can   believe,  and 
believe    it  who  can !    that   Plaid  Politics  and 
Popery  are  this  Gentleman's  Averfion  ?  Whence 
is   it  that  your   Ladies  difarm    themfelves  of 
that  native  Softnefs,  that  repnes  and  confecrates 
all    their    other    Attractions,    and    diftinguifh 
themfelves  by  Party  Drefs  and  Rage,  in  a  Na- 
tion where   there  are  no  Slaves  by   Conquefr, 
but  fuch  as  are  Theirs  j  and  no  Chains  but  thofe 
of  Love   and  Devotion  to  their  Charms  ?     Can 
it  be  imagin'd  they  would  purfue  fuch  a  Courfe 
were  they  properly  apprized,  that  the  Small- Pox 
itfelf,  feldom  proves  fo  fatal  and   unpropitiou&3 
as  the  four  and  malignant  Principles  of  Ja$obi- 
tifm  do  to  a  fweet  and  lovely  Face  !   Whence  is 
too,  that  the  Military  Gentlemen  at  Manchefier 
have   been  fo    loudly  exclaim' d  againft  j  as   if 
frowning  upon  "Jacobite  Faction,  was  an  Inroad 
upon   the  Constitution,  and  an  Ad:  of  Trea/on 
againft  the  State  ?  Are  thefe,  and  ten  thoufand 
more  I  could  mention,  Charafteriftics  of  Loy- 
alty  to   a  Proteflant    Prince    and  State?    For 
Shame  Siry  let  fuch  Jejuitical  Chicanry  be  no 
more  in  Fafhion  among  you  j  at  lead  let  it  be 

in 


(H5) 

in  Fafhion  no  more,  till  you  fucceed  in  getting 
that  Religion  which  approves  of,  and  recom* 
Mends  it,  eftablifh'd,  Accept  a  Word  of  Ad- 
vice. It  doth  not  pretend  to  Infallibility,  but 
may  have  its  17/e.  In  Cafe  of  another  Rebelli* 
on,  it  may  crown  you  with  a  Crown  of  Mar* 
tyrdont,  and  what  would  you  have  more  ?  My 

Advice   is  this.  Be  hone/I.     Let  thole  ne«* 

ver  pretend  to  be  Members  of  a  Proteflant 
Church  who  labour  to  undermine  her  Jacrea 
Foundations.  Throw  off  the  Ma/k,  that  fits 
fo  awkardlj  upon  your  Faces.  Appear  td 

be what  you  arc<     If  you  cannot   poifon 

with  your  Breath^  try  what  your  Pens  cart 
do.  And  if  the  Bluntnefi  of  your  pens  be  un- 
propitious  to  your  Caufe,  have  Recourfe  ttf 
the  Edge  of  your  Swords.  Inftead  of  facrifi- 
cing  Ink,  be  ready  to  faerifice  your  Blood  irt 
the  Service.  Set  up  the  Banners  of  Rome  and 
Rebellion ,  and  animate  your  priends  to  joirf 
you.  Tell  them  they  can  never  exp'eft  any 
good  Days,  till  we  have  our  Laws  written  irt 
French^  and  our  Prayer*  in  Latin*  Tell  themj 
that  if  Popery  takes  Place,  it  will  be  your 
peculiar  Privilege  to  f ray  without  Under/land- 
ing, to  obey  without  Reafbn,  and  believ*  with* 
out  Senfe }  that  you'll  be  allowed  to  pradtife, 
what  both  King  James  and  King  Charles  the 
Firftt  of  blejjed  Memory,  endeavoured  to  effa- 

blim  in  vain Carding  and  Dancing  on  Sun* 

Jays,      Tell  them  that  the   Devotion  of  our 


(I46) 

reformed  Churches,  is  a  dead,  dull,  and  fpirit- 
lefs  Devotion  ;  but  that  the  Puppet-Shew  Wor- 
fhip  of  Rome  is  all  Life !  all  Spirit  and  Ac- 
tion !  Tell  them  that  this  holy  Catholic  Church, 
has  a  CuJlom-Houfs  for  Sin,  and  that  the  Rates 
are  fix'd,  for  which  you  may  commit  all  Man- 
ner of  Wickednefs  without  doing  wickedly* 
Tell  them  that  Popery  once  eftablimed  in  the 
Land,  will  bring  in  innumerable  Bleffings  in 

her  Train  that   even  her  facred  Reliques, 

confifting  of  rotten  Rags,  and  rotten  Bones,  fo 
immenfely  valuable  to  all  good  Catholics  !  will 
be  more  than  an  equivalent  for  the  Debts  of 
the  Nation  ;  and  if  thofe  mould  be  fpung'd  ojfy 
will  be  in  Value  >  tho'  not  in  Kind^  more  than  an 
adequate  Compenfation  for  them !  Tell  them, 
that  Popery  will  be  fo  far  from  darkening  our 
Underftandings,  that  it  will  illuminate  the  whole 
Land ;  ,  our  Streets  as  well  as  our  Tem- 
ples, by  the  infinite  Number  of  facred  Candles 
and  Tapers,  made  ufe  of  in  folemn  Prayers  and 
Proceffions!  Tell  them,  that  the  Priefts  of 
Rome  will  fwap  Salvation  for  ready  Rhino  ; 
that  in  the  Mother  Church  of  Rome  the 
moft  abandorfd  Sinners  are  canoniz'd  for  the 
mod  diftinguifh'd  Saints ;  and  that  Heaven  can 
ffcape  none,  who  are  rich  enough  to  Traffic 
fbr>  or  wicked  enough  to  Merit  it.  Tell  the 
Devotees  of  your  Faffion,  that  they,  good  Men  ! 
may  devoutly  faft  upon  the  moft  delicate  Fifb 
.id  Oyl,  whilil  your  low-bred  Proteftants  are 

glad 


('47) 

glad  to  fea/t  upon  infinitely  lefs  delicate  Mor- 
fels !  Tell  them,  that  the  Highland  Target  is 
the  Shield  of  the  Faithful-,  that  the  Scotch 
Plaid  is  the  Garment  of  Righteoufnefs  and 
Salvation;  that  to  be  executed  for  Treafons  is 
the  narrow  Way  that  leadeth  to  Life,  tho* 
confidering  how  many  of  Tour  Friends  have 
been  traveriing  its  By  Paths,  'tis  ftr?  ige,  and 
methinks  'tis  pity  too,  no  more  of  them  have 
found  it !  Tell  them,  that  Popery,  inftead  of 
impoverifliing  and  ruining  the  State,  as  Fanatics 
pretend  it  would,  will  make  our  Fields  more 
fruitful^  by  manuring  them  with  Protejlant 
Blood.  Tell  them,  that  if  once  the  Catholic 
Faith  of  Rome  becomes  eftablim'd  in  our  Land, 
we  need  not  idly  lavim  away  Money  and  Time, 

in    purchafing  and  in  reading   of  Bibks,  

Tell  them,  that  the  Bible  has  a  black  Mark 
Yet  upon  it  in  the  Council  of  Trent's  expurga- 
tory  Index,  as  .one  of  thofe  Books,  (wicked 
and  Heretical  ones  no  doubt,)  that  all  good 
Catholics  mould  refrain  from  reading  of.  — 
Tell  them,  that  whoever  is  convicted  of  read- 
ing, or  harbouring  a  Bible  in  his  Hoitfe,  with- 
out a  fpecial  Licenfe  obtain'd  for  that  Purpoie, 
which  Licenfes  are  granted  only  to  /launch  and 
orthodox  Believers ;  is  pronounc'd  by  De- 
cree of  Council,  for  ever  incapable  of  all  the 

Benefits  of  Abfolution  I  Tell  them,  that 

always  worfhipping  of  one  Deity,  like  always 
eating  of  one  Pifh,  muft  clog  the  Moral  Ap- 

Ta 


petite,  and  difguft  a  delicate  Taft  ;  that  to 
guard  againft  fuch  Inconveniences,  you  have 
in  the  Churches  of  Rome,  as  many  Image- Gods 
as  there  are  Worfhippers !  and  that  in  their 
folemn  Devotions,  every  Man  bows  before  the 
Shrine  of  that  Divinity  he  likes  beft  5  be  it 
that  which  engages  his  Miftrefs  to  look  kind, 
or  that  which  renders  Heaven  propitious !  — — 
Tell  them,  how  happy  thofe  Popifh  States, 
where  they  have  no  '  Merchandize,  but  that  of 
Souls !  Where  they  are  not  over-ftock'd  with 
Inhabitants,  and  confequently  where  there  is 
no  Danger,  if  there  be  no  Heretics  to  devour, 
of  Men's  eating  up  one  another !  Exemplify 

this  in   the  Ecclefiaftical  States  of  Italy.  

Tell  them,  that  tho*  Meagrenefs  overfpreads 
thofe  Countries  whofe  delightful  Vales  are  na- 
turally rich  and  fertile,  yet  as  a  Counterbal- 
lance  to  this,  you  are  fure  to  meet  in  their 
Temples  with  whole  Crowds  of  fat  and  buxom 
Gods !  Tell  them,  as  to  thefe  States,  as  Petro~ 
nius  fays  of  Greece,  that  under  any  peculiar  Ex- 
igency, you  may  fooner  find  out  in  them,  a 
Cod  than  a  Man  to  help  you  !  Tell  them,  that 
poor  Britain  may  inherit  the  fame,  nay,  great- 
er Bleffings  than  thefe,  if  Britain's  Rebel 
Sons,  — „  the  Friends  of  Liberty  and  King 
GEORGE,  would  but  apoftatize  into  Grace, 
and  put  your  R-y-1  Matter  in  PofFeffion  of  a 
Maintenance  and  a  Throne!  And  tell  them, 
~ — -  but  my  Breath  and  my  Patience  fail  me  ; 


(  H9) 

apply  to  your  good  Friend  the  Catechift,  and 
he'll  affift  you  in  telling  them  ten  thoufand 
good  Things  more  ! 

Every  Man  who  is  a  fincere  and  ftcddy 
Friend  to  the  Laws,  and  Liberties  of  his 
Country  will  confefs,  tha-t  the  Security  of  Pro- 
tenants  is  their  Union,  their  Union  their 
Strength,  and  their  Strength  their  Glory.  When 
the  old  Britons  were  divided  among  themfelves, 
Cej'ar  came  and  decided  the  Controverfy,  by  a 
Conqueft  of  them  all.  A  neighbouring  Common- 
wealth that  from  refuming  a  Confiflency  of  Cha- 
racter, we  hope  may  once  more  become  formi- 
dable to  your  Friends,  has,  if  I  miitake  not,  a 
Bundle  of  Arrows  ty'd  up  clofely  together,  for 
a  Device  in  her  Arms,  to  fignify  that  the  Una- 
nimity of  a  People  is  the  true  Source  of  their 
Greatnefs.  This  you  are  well  appriz'd  of,  and 
whence  but  from  this  proceeds  it,  that  Tou  and 
Tour  Confederates,  the  Devotees  and  Penfwnaries 
of  France  and  Rome,  induitriouliy  endeavour 
to  play  off  one  Party  of  Protejlants  again  ft  a- 
nother,  to  raife  Dilhufts,  and  foment  Jealoufies 
among  them  ;  to  reprefent  Separatist  from  the 
Church,  as  engag'd  in  a  Conspiracy  to  overturn 
it ;  to  ipread  fal/'e  3.\v\fcandalous  Alarms  among 
the  Populace  that  the  Church  is  in  Danger  ! 
Are  not  thefe  Methods  purfucd  with  a  View  to 
exajpe.rate  and  inflame  Mens  Minds  againil  the 
prej'ent  Government,  to  difcipline  and  train  them 
up  for  another  Rebellion  ?  Divide  et  Impera  is 

your 


your  Maxim  ;  firft  divide  Proteflantsy  and  next 
deftroy  them  !  Bat  we  truft  5z>,  that  Heaven 
which  has  fo  oft  baffled  your  Projects  and  blafted 
your  Defigns,  will  continue  to  baffle  and  blafl 
them  ftill !  We  truft  that  the  Proteftant  Blood 
which  has  been  med  in  our  Land  byfavage  and 
rapacious  Hands,  will  be  a  Cement  that  will  bind 
all  Proteftants  more  firmly  together,  agaififtany 
future  Attempts  of  thofe  who  are  fo  far  from 
being  glutted  with  the  Blood  they  fhed,  or  fick 
with  the  Difappointment  they  have  met  with, 
that  Difappointment  doth  but  whet  their  Rage, 
and  tho'  they  made  themfelves  drunk  with  Pro- 
teftant  Blood,  they  ftill  thirft  for  more  !  But 
whilft  you  are  plotting  the  Deftruction  of  others, 
take  Heed  you  do  not  court  your  own :  Whilft 
you  are  erecting  in  your  Imaginations,  Racks, 
Gallows,  and  Gibbets  to  convert  or  to  chaftife 
Heretics  with,  remember  the  Fate  of  Haman. 

Putting  the  Cafe,  which  yet  cannot  be  ad- 
'  mitted  as  Fafty  that  the  Jacobite  Faction  had 
fome  plaufible  Provocation  to  cherifh  a  Spirit  of 
Rage  and  Rancor  again  ft  any  Party  of  Protef-* 
tants  whatfoever ;  yet  were  not  thefe  Men  £- 
nemies  to  Proteftantifm  itfelf,  as  well  as  to  P ro- 
te ft 'ant  Dijfenters,  a  Senfe  of  common  Danger, 
would  unite  the  moft  divided  Parties  in  one 
common  Intereft,  and  allay  little  Differences  ra- 
ther than  exafperate  and  inflame  them.  The 
Profpeft  of  the  Stake  and  the  Faggot  united 
Ridley  and  Hooper^  who  were  irreconcilable  be- 
fore. 


('SO 

fore.  The  Flame  that  threatned  to  confume 
their  Bodies,  purged  away  the  Drois  of  their 
Zeal,  and  render'd  it  more  refin'd  and  noble  ! 
Amongft  the  old  Romans  it  was  an  inviolable 
Maxim,  Donare  Inimicitias  Reipublic<z%  to  fa- 
orifice  all  private  Animofities  and  Contentions 
to  the  Glory  and  Happinefs  of  their  Country  : 
And  were  our  Church  of  England  Jacobites  fin- 
cere  Friends  to  that  Church  whole  Name  they 
proftitute  and  bla/pheme,  would  they  not  afpire 
after  the  Patriotism  of  an  old  Roman,  and  Jacri- 
fee  every  Intereft^  or  every  Pofjion  that  ftood  in, 
Competition  with  Love  of  the  Public,  and 

with    Zeal  for    the   public  Good  ? They 

undoubtedly  would.      But  the  Truth  is,  - 

'tis  that  Catholic  Church  they  would  eftablifh, 
that  has  no  Salvation  for  any,  but  thofe  who 
are  within  her  own  Pale.  Catholic  has  been 
the  Cry  of  their  Leaders  ;  and  fince  the  Doftor'b 
Catechifm  has  been  publifh'd,  the'  Cry  of  their 
Mob  has  been  the  fame.  They  are  no  longer  a 
Nonjuring  or  'Jacobite  Mob  they  tell  you  ;  No  ! 
they  are  all  Catholics,  a  truly  Catholic  Rabble. 

By  this  Time  'tis  expefted  that  you'll  renew 
your  Charge  againft  me,  and  fwear  by  the  Blood 
of  the  Rabble  Martyrs,  that  has  been  unjuflly 
flied,  that  I  am  a  low-bred  Fellow  with  a  Ven- 
geance. Low -bred!  that  is  as  clear  as  that 

the  young  Cardinal  is  a  good  Proteflant^  as  plain 

as the  Do&rine  of  Tranfubflantiation.     Be 

it  fo.     'Tis  more  than  I  ihall  fay  of  you.     Ton 
>  are 


fire  high-bred,  it  is  acknowledged.  Bred  in  the 
Maxims  of  that  City,  feated  on  the  feven  Hills ; 
bred  in  thehighPIaces  where  fpiritual  Wickednefs 
reigns,  in  the  Temples  of  Bigotry  and  Super- 
ftition !  Lowbred !  Bravely  fcorn  Sir,  to  have 
any  Thing  low  about  you,  but  your  Wit  and 
your  Poetry.  Thofe  are  low,  extremely  low  be 
fure  !  (a)  Thefe  remind  me  of  William  Prynne, 
I  afk  Pardon  for  comparing  you  to  a  fanatical 
Scribbler,  who  in  Reward  of  his  Di (loyalty,  had 
his  Ears  as  clofely  clipp'd  as  his  Mufe's  Wings, 
I  would  not  infmuate,  I  do  not  mean  that  the 
Comparifon  fhould  hold  good  throughout.  But 
his  Poetry,  as  painted  in  the  Dunciad,  runs  in 
fmQOth  and  harmonious  Strains  like  yours. 

__- . one  lately  did  not  fear, 

With  the  Mufe's  Leave  to  plant  verfe  here : 
But  it  produc'd  fuch  bafe  rough  crabbed  Hedge— 
—Rhymes  as  e'en  fet  the  Hearers  Teeth  on  Edge  J 
Written  by  William  Prynne,  Efqui-re  the, 
Year  of  our  Lord  fixteen  hundred  thirty  three  j 
Brave  Jerfey  Mufe,  and  he's  for  his  high  Style, 
Call'd  to  this  Day  the  Homer  of  our  Ifle. 

Many 

(a)    The  following  Specimens  of  our   Autfior's  Profe-Verf<V 
ivij]  juftify  the  Obfervation  above. 

But  among  them  who  never  wifh'd  him  Harm.  29 

I  am  furpriz'd  atone  of  his  good  Senfe.  41 

How  was  it  poffible  to  think  of  them.  269 
Of  Happinefs,  all  Hope  of  being  bleft. 


('S3) 

Many  different  Cities  difputed  the  Honour  of 
having  given  Birth  to  the  old  blind  Grecian 
Bard.  But  Oh  !  Manchefler^  undif pitted,  unri- 
val'd  be  thy  Glory,  who  haft  a  modern  Ho~ 
mer,  a  Ballad-maker  of  thy  own,  whofe  Merit 
{Hall  (hine  in  the  fafl'ry  Cooks,  and  the  Annals 

of  Fame  till minc'd  Pyes  and  Jellies  {hall 

be  no  more.-  Shall  I  recommend  to  you  Sir, 
for  the  farther  Promotion  and  Eftablifhment 
of  your  Poetical  Glory,  a  Machine  that  is  now 
contriving  by  a  very  ingenious  Friend  of  mine, 
wherewith  to  make  Verfes  by  the  Dozen.  It 
may  be  greatly  ufeful  to  relieve  Poverty  of 
Meafures  and  Invention^  in  different  Claffes  of 
Writers  ;  from  your  Courant,  three  half-penny 
Wits,  up,  I  (hould  rather  fay  down,  as  they 
Jink  in  proportion  to  their  Size,  to  your  Quarto 
live  foe- penny  Poetafter.  By  Reafon  of  the  vaft 
Erudition  required  to  perfect  fuch  a  Machine, 
and  its  ftill  vafter  Importance,  He  intends  to 
follicit  an  Att  of 'Parliament ,  to  fecure  to  him- 
fel.f  the  fole  Right  of  vending  it  for  21  Years. 
I  have  fomewhere  met  with  a  Precedent,  for 
an  adl  of  this  Nature:  (a)  The  only  good  Act, 
you'll  poffibly  fay,  that  has  taken  Place  fmce 
the  Revolution.  This  will  be  confefs'd  as  va- 
lid t  by  thofe  who  look  upon  all  the  Hanover- 

U  Succeffion 


(*}  See  an  Aft  of  Parliament  ijth  of  Geo.  II.  to  fecure 
to  John  Byrom  A.  M.  and  F.  R.  S.  the  fole  Right  of  teaching 
his  Short-Hand  for  the  Term  0/21  Years. 


('54) 

Succejfion   Afts,  to  be  only  fo   many    Ads  of 
TJjurpation* 

But  the  mofl  unpardonable  Crime  that  I  have 
been  guilty  of,  remains  laft  to  be  confider'd ;  a 
Crime  that  is  big  with  all  others.  'Tis  not  Se- 
dition, Sacrilege,  Perjury,  Murder,  or  Rebel- 
lion, but  a  Crime  blacker  than  them  all ;  . 
I  have  rag'd  for  Loyalty.  And  is  not  this  the 
worft  kind  of  Treafon  ?  A  Complication  of 
Yreafons?  Ten  thou j and  Treafons  in  one?  To 
be  chargeable  with  it,  is  to  be  low-bred  in- 
deed !  This  is  as  demon  ftrable  as  the  Clown's 

Syllogifm  in  the  Comic  Poet :  "  Thou  art 

"  damn'd  for  not  being  at  Court :  If  thou 

**  never  waft  at  Court,  thou  never  faweft  good 
ve  Manners  j  then  thy  Manners  muft  be  wick- 
te  ed  ;  and  Wickednefs  is  Sin  ;  and  Sin  Dam- 
ct  nation.  Thou  art  in  a  parlous  Cafe  Ske- 
"  pherd"  Rage  againft  the  Government,  that 
protects  you  ;  that  is  Patriotijm :  Rage  for  a 
Royal  Martyr,  that  upon  Nonjuring  Principles 
could  be  no  Cbriftiant  and  coniequently  no 
Chriflian  Martyry  becaufe  he  wanted  Chriftian 
Baptifm,  (which  we  have  been  oft  told  by 
Your  Friends,  Prejbyterian  Baptifm  is  not ;)— - 
This  is  pure  Orthodoxy ;  Rage  for  France,  and 
France's  Penfion-Tooi,  the  Young  Pre- 
tender in  my  low-bred  Style  j  but  the  Pr-nce 
R-y-1  in  Tours  j  that  is,  Love  of  our  Country. 
But  to  rage  for  Loyalty  to  a  Proteflant  Go- 
vernment, the  Tongue  that  can  be  guilty  of  it, 

deferves 


•deferves  to  be  cut  out.  And  yet  after  all,  if 
one  may  whifper  you  a  Secret ;  methinks,  'tis 
at  leaft  as  defenfible  and  confiftent  a  Part,  to 
rage  for  Loyalty,  as  'tis  to  plunder  Mens  Pro- 
perties for  the  Reftoration  of  invaded  Rights,  to 
take  up  Arms  for  Nonrefiftance ;  and  rebel  for 
Paffiroe  Obedience. 

Thus  Sir,  low-bred  as  I  am,  I  have  pre- 
futn'd  to  intrude  without  Leave,  and  without 
Ceremony,  into  your  Company  :  You'll  there- 
fore think  it  high  Time  for  me  to  withdraw, 
and  difmifs  you  from  fo  ungrateful  an  Attend- 
ance ;  and  I  think  fo  too.  Whenever  you  fee 
about  to  rhyme  Sedition  ^  again,  the  Prblick  has 

a    Right    to    demand    your  Name.  . Thig 

Demand  you'll  readily  comply  with,  unlefs  Tbu 
would  approve  yourfelf  to  be,  what  I  could  tell 
you  who^— takes  you  to  be,— a  Rebel  in  Maf- 
querade  !  Permit  Me  in  particular,  to  call  upon 
you,  to  challenge  you,  to  father  your  Intellec- 
tual Brats,  and  not  turn  them  adrift  like  a 
Baflard  Race  that  dare  not  confefs  their  Pa- 
rentage. The  Affajjin  that  ftabs  and  murders 
Reputations  in  the  Dark^  who  knows  but  by 
Degrees  he  may  commence  a  Fclton,  or  a  Ra- 
•villiac?  If  you  do  me  further  Honour ,  as  I  am 
in  Expectance  you  will ;  I  ilmll  be  glad  to  re- 
turn it  in  all  faithful  and  becoming  Homage. 
In  the  mean  Time,  I  kils  your  Hand,  with  as 
much  Devotion,  as  I  would  his  Ilolinefs's  fa- 
cred  and  infallible  'Toe ;  for  Infallibity,  like  the 

Schoolman's 


(  '56  )        , 

Schoolman's  Soul,  is,  *Totum  in  Tofv,  et  Totutn 
in  yualibet  Partc -,  and  am, 

SIR, 

Tour  very  bumble ', 

J.      O  W  B*fr; 

P.  S.  Should  the  Reader  be  at  a  Lofs  to 
judge  who  that  good  Proteftant  is,  mention'd 
in  the  7th  Page  of  this  Letter,  who  vifited  the 
Pretender's  Court,  to  procure  an  Abfolution, 
for  having  fworn  Allegiance  to  King  GEORGE  5 
I  refer  him  Sir,  to  You,  as  my  Interpeter. 


ERRATA.     Befides  fomc  literal  Miftakes, 
correct  thofe  which  follow. 


Page      Line      for        read 


42 

44 
52 
53 

56 

64 

66 

67 


19—  -has—»—  -  have 
1  2  -  by  -  But 
21—  Authors-Author's 
•zz--RadKeil--Radxecil 
23  —  a^ter  —  Reliques 
place  a  Colon; 
28  -  leans  —  leaks 
23—  after  there,  place 
the  Reference  (b) 
15  ---  blot  out    he 
Wiles  of 
31  --  Jerichuntis 


Page      Line      for        read 


73 


99 

105 

117 


133 
142 


14^  -  before  fpiritua! 
add  If 

10  blot  out  lad  Comma 
9  —  c-nas  -  has      f 
27  --  after  Prieft  add 
's     AeciTive  Voice  ; 

jl.^  •**•'    HS  "*"*"""  "™"  M 

1  4  -  feared  —  feafted 


25  -  builds  —  build 

i  -  Duke  —  Dupb 
2;—  after  i«  add  it